Taipei’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system yesterday unveiled a new coding system for its metro lines and stations aimed at helping foreigners to navigate the system more easily.
The new system, which was announced by the Taipei City Government in November last year and underwent public consultation, introduces a color-coded system for each line to replace the number-coded system in use since November 2014.
Line 1 (Wenhu Line), the first line that entered service, is to be officially called the “Brown Line,” as it has been known throughout the MRT system’s 20-year history. The other four lines are also to be renamed in the same manner.
An alphanumeric code is to be assigned to each station, which currently is only distinguished by the station’s name in Chinese and English, MRT operator Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and TRTC president Yen Pang-chieh (顏邦傑) pledged to introduce a coding system for the stations after Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Lee Chien-chang (李建昌) said during a council session in November last year that foreigners are often confused by the station names, since many of them are romanizations of Chinese names.
Lee cited the metro systems in Seoul and Mexico as examples of how station codes makes it easier for foreigners to find their way around.
According to the new system, New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店), the terminal station on the “Green Line” (Songshan-Xindian Line), is to be coded “G01,” a combination of a prefix to indicate the line color and a number.
Two codes are to be assigned to stations where two lines meet, such as Taipei Main Station, which will be coded “R10” and “BL12,” as the “Red Line” (Tamsui-Xinyi Line) and the “Blue Line” (Bannan Line) intersect.
The codes for the stations on the “Orange Line” (Zhonghe-Xinlu Line are to have the prefix “O,” while those on the Wenhu Line (Brown) will have the prefix “BR.”
The number of each station would increase from south to north and from west to east, TRTC said.
Once the new coding system is approved by Ko, TRTC said it plans to complete updating the maps and signage in the stations, which will cost NT$30 million (US$926,268), before the Summer Universiade opens on Aug. 19 next year.
The new coding system is the same as the one adopted by Kaohsiung’s metro system since it began operations in 2008.
It is also used for all metro and tram lines in Taiwan during planning stages, when no station names have been designated.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition