A NT$4 billion request from the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp to get the MRT up and running again will be submitted to city councilors today for their imprimatur.
In addition, the city's Bureau of Transportation has asked the Taipei City Government for NT$225 million to repair electrical equipment, fire equipment and automatic toll machines in 11 city parking lots that were damaged by flooding during Typhoon Nari.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
But city councilors say they're reluctant to approve the requests.
They're upset because transportation officials haven't been able to provide any assurances as to when the MRT -- which has only had service on the Mucha line since Nari hit last week -- will be fully operationally again.
Both funding requests will be submitted to the Taipei City Council for final approval this afternoon.
Richard Chen (
In addition, Chen said that Kunyang Station had been flooded and that the "third rail" -- the rail that provides trains with electric power on the Pannan line from Kunyang to Longshan Temple Station -- must also be replaced.
Chen said that it was too early to assess the full extent of financial losses incurred throughout the city's MRT system, but that NT$4 billion should cover the damages.
"We've been trying to save as much property from the floods as possible to keep our losses under NT$4 billion," Chen said.
KMT City Councilor Wang Hao (
"You have not given us a guarantee as to when full MRT service will resume, and we don't know whether you will come back to ask for more money before then," Wang said.
Chen didn't respond.
Another city councilor noted that there have been conflicting reports about when the MRT would be up and running.
"Last week, right after the floods, you said the MRT would not be operational within the next six months," said Wang Shih-chien (
"A few days ago, you said the MRT would resume full service within two months. Today, you're telling us you don't know."
Chen said that nothing could be guaranteed at this moment, "because we need to investigate further before we can establish exactly how bad it is."
Wang also raised the question of whether human error played a part in the flooding of Taipei Railway Station, as Kunyang Station had flooded some 12 hours before.
"It doesn't make sense to the public that no precautionary work was done after Kunyang Station was flooded," Wang said.
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