Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) yesterday said the ministry aims to increase the public transport usage rate from about 14 percent to 30 percent, with a goal of a 5 percent increase annually.
Mao made the statement at a transportation service seminar held by the ministry, where he delivered a speech titled “Vision of a Low Carbon Emission, Sustainable Transport Development.”
Meanwhile, the ministry has proposed that local governments consider raising their parking fees and charging a congestion fee to boost demand for public transport.
The Executive Yuan’s Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction Committee has ordered the transportation department to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 34.5 million tonnes by 2020 and 29.7 million tonnes by 2025, but the best the department could do is halve the carbon dioxide emissions now being produced, Mao said.
A majority of the work needs to be done by the nation’s energy regulator, which must ensure a more efficient use of the energy, Mao said.
Oil prices rose 385 percent between 1995 and last year, but the consumer price index only rose 83 percent during the same period, he said, asking whether fuel purchases should still be subsidized, given the rising cost of crude oil.
“The question we have to ask ourselves is whether we are ready to take care of those who switch from private vehicles to public transport if the government no longer provides subsidies for gas purchases,” Mao said. “When that happens, a public transport environment must be in place, otherwise people will only switch from cars to motorcycles.”
To decrease reliance on small passenger vehicles, the ministry said it would promote increased use of carbon-free options, such as walking and bicycling.
Commuters should also be encouraged to carpool and use public transport at least once per week or per month, and to try to work from home using Web-based videoconferencing.
Mao said transportation had become the second-largest energy-consuming sector after industry, with as much as 13.9 percent of energy resources going into transportation last year, emitting about 35.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Statistics from last year showed that the carbon dioxide generated by highway transportation accounted for 94 percent of all transportation emissions.
Sixty-four percent of carbon dioxide emissions on highways came from small passenger vehicles.
Mao said a survey conducted last year found that the public transport usage rate was 13.9 percent. When those who walk or ride bicycles were added, the percentage was 26.7 percent.
New Taipei City (新北市), Keelung and Taoyuan County also have double-digit public transport usage rates, but the usage rate for other cities and counties varied between 3 percent and 8 percent.
The divide was also obvious when comparing public transport utilization in the nation’s five major municipalities.
Taipei and New Taipei City had public transport usage rates of 37.6 and 25.9 percent respectively, but those of Greater Taichung, Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung were 6.8, 4.8 and 6 percent respectively.
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