A video clip showing an ambulance rushing an injured patient to hospital being halted to make way for President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) motorcade drew condemnation from the netizens yesterday.
Incensed, some netizens criticized traffic controllers for “attaching greater importance to making way for government officials than the lives of ordinary people,” while others denounced the police, asking: “What would he do if the person in the ambulance was his mother.”
The incident took place on Thursday at 6:20pm at the crossroads of Zhongshan North Road and Minquan East Road in Taipei while traffic control was in place to make way for the president’s motorcade.
An ambulance with a patient on its way to hospital was called to a halt by the traffic police officer dispatched by Taipei City Police’s Zhongshan Precinct for nearly three minutes because of the president’s motorcade.
A passerby, who found the incident unbelievable, filmed it on a mobile phone. The clip was posted online, sparking an uproar.
In response, the precinct yesterday apologized and admitted negligence on the part of the traffic officer.
The officer has received two oral reprimands and his superior was also given an oral reprimand because of a lack of supervision, said Ko Mu-cheng (柯木成), an official from the Taipei City Police’s Inspectors’ Office.
The precinct would use the case as teaching material to enhance police training, he added.
Ko said the National Security Council’s Special Service Command Center, which is in charge of safeguarding the security of the president and the vice president, has issued a notice stating that the president and vice president’s motorcades should give way to emergency vehicles.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS