The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday faced criticism from members of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee for announcing on Tuesday that all train and freeway bus passengers would need to wear masks and have their temperatures taken before boarding as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
While most commuters adapted to the new measures when they went into effect yesterday, many who were not aware of the changes argued with train and bus station staff, and complained that being forced to wear masks and wait in long lines to have their temperature taken caused them to miss their train or bus.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said that while he does not disagree with the policy, the ministry should not announce new measures and institute them the next day, adding that such an abrupt move would definitely draw public ire.
Photo: CNA
As the Ministry of Economic Affairs has announced that adjustments to its mask sales policy would not be implemented until Thursday next week, when people can begin purchasing nine masks every two weeks instead of the current three per week, the MOTC’s new policy could cause commuters using public transport to not have enough masks, he said.
Some local government officials have signaled trouble enforcing the measure and have chosen to disregard it, leaving the nation with two policies regarding mask use, he added.
Independent Legislator Chao Cheng-yu (趙正宇) said that Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) should not consider his notification of lawmakers an announcement of the policy, adding that the ministry should host a news conference to explain the new measures to the public.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) asked what the ministry would do if train or bus passengers defy the rules and insist on traveling, as well as what people should do if they are denied access to public transportation.
It should consider expanding disease-prevention taxi and rental car services so that people still have ways to commute, he said.
As many small train stations lack infrared imagers, trains could still be delayed in peak hours because station staff must take passengers’ temperatures one at a time, he added.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Huang Yu-ling (黃玉霖) said that the policy is compulsory and that those who do not comply would be prohibited from boarding trains and intercity buses.
The MOTC has planned for the policy’s enforcement and conducted drills since the Taiwan Lantern Festival in February, he said.
The policy applies only to Taiwan Railways Administration and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp trains and freeway buses, Huang said, adding that whether MRT metropolitan rail networks enforce the measures depends on local governments.
Lin Chia-lung on Tuesday said that the policy would also apply to agencies supervised by the ministry, including 1,298 Chunghwa Post Co post offices and freeway rest areas.
The MOTC yesterday held a meeting to evaluate the implementation of the policy.
Apart from addressing the issues of passengers not wearing masks and long waits for temperature checks, it also required post offices, freeway rest areas and airports to enforce “social distancing” ordered by the Central Epidemic Command Center, by placing signs on floors indicating safe distances in areas where people have to line up for service.
The first two F-16V Block 70 jets Taiwan purchased from the US were spotted unexpectedly turning back after departing from Hawaii yesterday, potentially further delaying delivery of the aircraft. Taiwan has purchased 66 of the F-16 C/D Block 70 jets to be deployed at Chihhang Air Base (志航基地) in Taitung County and operated by the air force's 7th Tactical Fighter Wing to defend Taiwan’s eastern region. Two single-seat jets, bearing serial No. 6727 and 6728, were spotted taking off from Hickam Field in Hawaii yesterday, observers said. Based on the precedent set during the delivery of Taiwan's older F-16 Block 20s, the new
Taiwan’s growing defense preparations might be sending a stronger signal to the US than to Beijing, highlighting the need for Taipei to tailor its deterrence efforts to different audiences, a US security academic said yesterday. Stanford University Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies fellow Oriana Skylar Mastro made the comment during a Taipei Security Dialogue panel examining lessons Taiwan could draw from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Mastro said she was impressed by Taiwan’s increased defense spending, emphasis on asymmetric capabilities and efforts to prepare society for conflict, but questioned whom those initiatives were influencing. She said when she asked
A sharp rise in compensation to be paid by air force officers who leave before completing their required service could indicate an increase in pilots leaving the military early, an analyst said on Friday, warning that the trend could worsen a shortage of experienced personnel. Chieh Chung (揭仲), a researcher at the Association for Strategic Foresight, issued the warning even though the number of volunteer military personnel is expected to increase next year. The planned headcount for volunteer military personnel, covering officers, noncommissioned officers (NCO) and enlisted soldiers, is 158,223 for next year, up 4,258 from 153,965 this year, Chieh said. The increase
Potential improvements to munitions used by China’s long-range rocket-artillery units could extend their range to cover the entire Miyako Strait, which might give the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) the ability to secure the strategic waterway, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a report. The PLA’s long-range rocket-artillery units deployed along the Taiwan Strait are concentrated along the coast of Fujian Province, including Changle, Pingtan and Shishi, the quarterly report on China said. The artillery brigades of the PLA’s 71st, 72nd and 73rd group armies have been deployed, with preparations for potential battlefield operations under way since August 2022, the report
RSS