If Mayor Frank Hsieh (
Ever since Hsieh declared that "turning Kaohsiung into a friendly city" would be the slogan for transforming the bustling but unglamorous port into a city of good international repute, the city's transportation system -- and its upgrading -- has became a top priority.
PHOTO: JEWEL HUANG, TAIPEI TIMES
For years, local people have complained about the city's patchy mass-transport infrastructure. Buses are not the preferred mode of transportation because of the limited number of routes and low-frequency services.
Most people choose instead to drive cars or ride motorscooters to work. Consequently, traffic congestion and air pollution have haunted Kaohsiung for years, and have contributed to a deteriorating standard of living.
Hsieh knows that a convenient transportation system is the most potent change an electorate can experience.
Department of Rapid Transit Systems head Chou Li-liang (周禮良) said the LRT, which will loop the city, is a major transportation project complementing the MRT system already under construction.
Chou, who in 1993 was chief engineer at Taipei City's Department of Rapid Transit Systems, told the Taipei Times that the LRT will follow the old harbor railway line and replace several bus routes.
Seventeen kilometers long and joining 32 stations, the LRT will cost NT$13 billion and is to be constructed in three phases between 2003 and 2012.
"If construction goes smoothly and budgets are consistent, the residents of Kaohsiung will be able to ride the new system early in 2007. It will most definitely change the city, including its landscape and way of life," Chou said.
"The orbital LRT system, when integrated with the cross-route MRT system, is expected to provide high-efficiency traffic movement and turn Kaohsiung into a genuine international city," he said.
However, Chou said, many people did not understand what light rail was and doubted that it was necessary.
"If you compare it with the MRT system, the LRT is cheaper and faster to build, and is more efficient," Chou said.
"It also offers potential for upgrading," he said.
To make the public more aware of the new transport scheme, the department on Dec. 27 launched a three-month trial of the LRT, borrowing a train from the German manufacturer Siemens and building a 450m track in Kaohsiung's Central Park.
"The train is the same one that Melbourne [in Australia] uses for its light rail system. The five-car train can carry up to 190 passengers," said Du Yi-he (
"[The train] is easy to operate and has an automatic fare collection system, together with a simple station design," Du said.
"The low platform and the low chassis of the cars are especially suited to children, old people and the disabled," he said.
First lady Wu Shu-chen (
Other passengers expressed the same reaction.
"It is very interesting to ride. It's very new and beautiful," said one elderly lady who had taken her grandson to the park for the trial ride.
Chou said the LRT would also be a boost for Kaohsiung's night life.
"The LRT will not only be used for commuting purposes, but will also be a fun way to get around Kaohsiung's historic sites, restaurants, shopping malls and harbor," Chou said.
"Kaohsiung will then be able to enjoy an integrated transportation system of airports, highways, the MRT system and the LRT system, carrying visitors and residents throughout the city with ease and efficiency," he said.
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