The Legislative Yuan yesterday enacted the Road Traffic Safety Basic Act (道路交通安全基本法), finalizing the nation’s new road and traffic policy in hopes of achieving the goal of zero traffic incident-related deaths.
The act, passed by the Executive Yuan on Aug. 17, provides a legal basis upon which traffic safety policies may be enacted and budgets may be allocated.
According to the act, the Executive Yuan has to present a central traffic safety report to coordinate and promote nationwide traffic safety efforts.
Photo: CNA
The premier is to chair a panel of experts consisting of ministers without portfolio, representatives or heads of agencies, and municipal and city mayors, and county commissioners, which is to compile the safety report, it says.
The government is tasked with establishing and enforcing traffic safety regulations, policies and guidelines, as well as conducting regular inspections, publishing reviews and ensuring transparency, it says.
The central government should assist local governments and oversee the policy’s implementation, it says.
Municipal governments and local cities and counties must set local traffic implementation plans and conduct regular assessments of the policies, it says.
Municipal governments, and local city and county administrators should meet with experts, local traffic safety groups and representatives from agencies to review traffic safety regulations, it says.
The central government is tasked with establishing a comprehensive driver training program, and examination and standards of qualifications to become a driver to ensure drivers’ competency, it says.
The central government shall reference international vehicular safety regulations and establish a standard of vehicle safety examination, and ameliorate existing vehicle safety examinations, it says.
Governments across all levels should be transparent about traffic safety information, and work to improve traffic conditions, compile traffic incident data and make traffic safety reports, it says
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers Lee De-wei (李德維) and Sandy Yu (游毓蘭), and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chiao-hui(蘇巧慧) said the legislation is a milestone in Taiwan’s traffic safety history.
The country sees more than 3,000 deaths per year caused by traffic incidents, they said, adding that they hope the act would serve to improve traffic safety and to show the international community that Taiwan is no longer a “pedestrian hell.”
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