The Taiwan Railways Administration’s new policy requiring passengers to exit platforms and other areas behind ticket gates within 10 minutes of their train’s arrival at stations is “a bit too harsh,” Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) yesterday said, adding that the agency should show leniency in extenuating circumstances.
Hochen made the remarks at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee after facing criticism from lawmakers over the policy.
The policy, which is to take effect on Jan. 1, would require train passengers to pay NT$15 if they fail to leave stations within 10 minutes of arriving unless they have a legitimate reason for failing to do so. It is to apply to holders of electronic and physical tickets.
The administration earlier this week said the policy aimed to encourage passengers to quickly leave after arriving at a station to make room for departing passengers during peak hours, which would help maintain order and safety at stations.
The policy would reduce disputes with passengers when multiple trains arrive at a station at or about the same time, it said.
For example, a commuter train passenger might be asked to pay the fare for a Tzuchiang express train if both trains stop at the station at the same time and they linger on the platform for too long, it added.
The policy would also reduce the number of people who either do not pay for tickets or pay less than the normal fare, the administration said, citing express train passengers who get off a station early and wait for a commuter train to arrive so they can pay the lesser price.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said that the policy, when enforced, would be stricter than those of the Taipei mass rapid transit system and the high-speed rail system.
However, in some stations it takes time to walk to the exit, particularly for older and physically challenged people, as well as parents with children and passengers carrying heavy luggage, he said.
Asking such people to leave a station within 10 minutes of arrival during peak hours might be a problem, he added.
New Power Party Legislator Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸) said that passengers sometimes have to line up to exit stations during peak hours, adding that the railway would have trouble enforcing the new policy on weekends or holidays.
The railway operator should study the possibility of revising the policy, she said.
Hochen said that the time frame set by railway seemed too strict, adding that it should consider giving passengers some leniency under certain circumstances.
Passengers would also be given a grace period before the policy is officially enforced, Hochen said, adding that the railway would enhance communication with passengers during that period.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai