The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday said it does not support a proposal that would fine pedestrians for checking their mobile devices while crossing roads, because the policy would be difficult to enforce.
The ministry voiced its objection during a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, when it was scheduled to review proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例).
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) said that pedestrians who check their mobile devices while crossing roads have become a threat to public safety, adding that they should check for traffic before crossing a road and should not be looking at their devices while crossing.
He said that people who disrupt traffic by lowering their heads to check their devices should be fined NT$300.
DPP Legislator Cheng Pao-ching (鄭寶清) said that the ministry should support the bill because it can be enforced to address the problem.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Frank Fan (范植谷) said that a similar bill had been proposed before, and the legislature passed a resolution in November 2014 saying that the act would remain unchanged because of the limited number of law enforcement officers.
Instead, the resolution requires the ministry to enhance its road safety campaign to raise public awareness on the risks of using mobile devices while walking on sidewalks or pedestrian crossings, Fan said.
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