Taipei Department of Transportation Commissioner Chung Hui-yu (鍾慧諭) yesterday blamed recent major traffic congestion on plunging temperatures, rain and the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays, while critics said “three latitudinal, three longitudinal” bicycle lanes planned for the capital would encroach on road space and cause greater traffic problems.
Chung told a news conference that recent traffic jams — described by media as traffic in Taipei entering a “dark age” — had nothing to do with bicycle lanes under construction on Fuxing N and Xinsheng S roads, which are scheduled for completion next month and in May respectively.
Chung ascribed the congestion to “record-low” temperatures last month, which she said prompted more people to drive rather than use public transportation, and rainy weather reducing visibility, as well as people driving to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year break.
Photo: CNA
Chung said the department had been negligent in informing people of the “predictable” heavy traffic ahead of the holidays, adding that it would urge people to take precautions.
Chung said that another major factor behind the congestion is that police officers directing traffic are stationed on road corners instead of in the middle of intersections in accordance with a directive by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) out of concern over officer safety.
Ko on Tuesday directed police to control major intersections when necessary in a bid to ease pre-Lunar New Year traffic, while Taipei Police Department Traffic Division head Wu Yao-nan (吳耀南) pledged to step up efforts to disperse gridlock and tackle illegal parking on roadsides.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Chung said that traffic flow has improved noticeably with the help of additional police officers and volunteers controlling 30 additional intersections, as well as redoubled efforts to crack down on illegal parking.
She said that traffic on Fuxing N and Fuxing S roads made the biggest improvement, with average car speed taken at a single spot rebounding from 33.28kph to 37.34kph.
She said that a NT$1 bus fare hike scheduled to take effect next month would be postponed and rejected reports of a possible increase in public parking spaces.
Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) said that traffic conditions are appalling on Zhongxiao E and Xinyi roads, adding that places she once could get to in just 10 minutes by car now take her about 30 minutes.
Hsu said the city council approved the bus fare hike on the condition that bus operators give drivers a NT$3,000 raise in their monthly salaries, adding that Ko’s administration should not punish bus drivers mistakes by the city.
The Ko administration’s delayed fare hike meant delaying raises for bus drivers, Hsu said.
In related news, Ko equivocated on remarks hinting that Chung would be axed, saying: “Every department head should assume responsibility for their jobs. As a rule, they should take care of their own jobs and not let the mayor do too much talking.”
Ko on Tuesday said in an interview that “the traffic will improve if I fire a couple more department heads.”
Meanwhile, Taipei Traffic Engineering Office Director Tiger Chen (陳學台) said that “three latitudinal and three longitudinal” bicycle lanes would include two existing corridors on Xinyi, Nanjing E and Nanjing W roads, which have been restored and reopened following the completion of the MRT Xinyi and Songshan lines, as well as a lane already marked out on Renai Road.
Chen said that another lane would be built along Zhongshan N Road in September as part of the bicycle network, while construction of a lane on Songjiang Road has not started.
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