Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) yesterday said he does not favor lowering the legal age for motorcycle drivers because it runs counter to the ministry’s policy of promoting the use of public transportation.
Chen faced questions at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee after a story published yesterday in the Chinese-language China Times said that the ministry was seeking opinions from schools about the proposed change in policy.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said that 1,819 people died in traffic accidents last year. He said the number was particularly high among young people aged 16 to 24, with an average of 3.5 students killed in traffic accidents each week.
Lee added that the death rate among those aged 18 or younger who drive without a license was 10 times higher than other age groups. He said he does not support lowering the age for obtaining a motorcycle license to 16.
DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) also opposed the proposal, saying the ministry should seek to increase the availability of public buses as a solution to the problem of commuting to school for students living in remote areas.
Lowering the minimum legal age for motorcycle licenses is simply a bad policy and will not solve the problem, she said.
Chen said the change was proposed in a meeting with motorcyclists last year, in which some of the experts present requested that the ministry consider allowing people to take the motorcycle license exam at the age of 16.
Following on the request, Chen said the ministry sent letters to local governments and schools, asking them to express their opinions on the issue.
“I have yet to see the proposal on my desk, and it is not time to make a decision on it. However, I can say I would certainly not agree to the change,” Chen said.
He said the ministry has made making the availability of public bus services on campuses a policy priority, and he would not do anything that contradicts it.
Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) said he would invite middle and senior-high schools to hold discussions on the matter, adding that he personally believed it would be better for students to take public transportation.
In related news, Chen said he expects that travel time from Taipei to Luodong (羅東), Yilan County, would take about 90 minutes during the four-day holiday combining Children’s Day and Tomb Sweeping Day that begins on Friday.
He said that motorists encountered major congestion during the New Year’s Eve holiday on Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (Freeway No. 5), the shortest route between Taipei and Yilan.
However, he said the ministry worked with the Yilan County Government to address traffic problems on the freeway by encouraging travelers to use public transport and implementing measures to ease the traffic during the Lunar New Year and 228 Memorial Day holidays.
These measures produced significant results, he said, adding that they would be enforced during the holiday this week.
Additional reporting by Abraham Gerber
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