Traffic incompetence continues
Two events this month have laid bare the significant traffic issues in Taipei and New Taipei City: the removal of the Gongguan Traffic Circle and the filling in of a bus-only underpass, which began on Sept. 13.
So, what was the result? Massive traffic jams and a bridge that has effectively been converted into a temporary parking lot. Then, on Friday morning, a delay at the Blue Line’s Xinpu MRT Station in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) forced passengers off the train, packing into the platform like sardines in a can.
The scenes were a testament to failed governance. It was political incompetence. Was there a comprehensive alternative in place before the Gongguan roundabout was removed? Was there a backup plan for the MRT? No.
Mayors are quick to pound their chests and shout political slogans and shift the blame onto other departments, yet they refuse to acknowledge their own shortsightedness. These are not just minor hiccups — they are warning signs.
In a metropolitan area with about 7 million people, even the slightest disruption could throw the entire system into absolute chaos. It becomes all the more severe when considering what could happen to such a fragile system in an earthquake, a terrorist attack or even a war. If the MRT were to lose power or fill with smoke, who would rescue the thousands of people trapped on platforms? If the main roads were blocked, how would ambulances get through?
Today, it is just traffic jams and train delays, but tomorrow, it could cost lives. Can government officials guarantee they are adequately prepared? They cannot, because they are not.
Amid rising cross-strait tensions, infrastructure is no longer just about transportation and construction projects — it is a matter of national security. Yet, politicians are busy calculating votes, treating urban planning as a tool for political credit, while pushing real risks to the sidelines.
Such governance is not just lazy, it is the irresponsible handling of peoples’ lives.
Shih Li
Tainan
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