A cap on freeway tolls should be lifted to allow transportation officials to devise a congestion pricing scheme that diverts freeway traffic to alternative routes more effectively on long holiday weekends, Chinese Institute of Transportation chairman Lin Liang-tay (林良泰) yesterday told a news conference at the Taipei-based institute.
Experts from the institute met with Freeway Bureau officials on Tuesday to discuss possible solutions to ease the congestion on the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (National Freeway No. 5) after the freeway saw congestion for more than 30 hours over the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend last month.
Citing Freeway Bureau data, Lin said that the average driving speed on the freeway section between Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) and Shiding District (石碇) in New Taipei City was less than 60kph for more than 30 hours, and for about 20 hours the average speed was less than 20kph.
Photo: Hsiao Yu-hsin, Taipei Times
The key to easing congestion is to find out how to bring the most people to their destinations, rather than the most vehicles, he said.
When analyzing the traffic on the southbound lanes of the freeway on the first day of the holiday, experts found that 75 percent came from the Formosa Freeway (National Freeway No. 3), 15 percent from the Shiding Interchange and 10 percent from the Pinglin Interchange (坪林), he said.
At least 25 percent of the traffic on the freeway should be diverted to Highways No. 2 and No. 9, which are alternative routes to the freeway, he said.
Large passenger buses should be given priority access to the freeway to ensure that the maximum number of people, rather than vehicles, can access the freeway, he added.
Legislators should provide government officials with legal tools to regulate traffic, Lin said.
Using the Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道) on holidays only costs about NT$50 in tolls, but if the bureau wants to raise the tolls to help divert traffic, it cannot charge more than NT$100, so legislators need to amend the law to lift the cap on tolls, he said.
Asked if the ministry would consider raising tolls, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that the Freeway Bureau was carefully evaluating all the suggestions from transportation experts.
Tolls are just one tool that the ministry could use to relieve freeway congestion, he said, adding that others include the high-occupancy control (HOV) policy and arranging alternative routes.
“The Freeway Bureau will consider if asking motorists to pay more than twice the current toll would make a substantial difference to the traffic flow,” he said.
It would consult its data from previous years, as well as reviewing suggestions, before determining how to adjust freeway traffic flows during the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4, the minister added.
Meanwhile, other institute experts suggested that the bureau implement the HOV policy on all interchanges along Freeway No. 5, and increase the minimum number of people in a vehicle from three to four.
It should also consider enforcing a reservation system, where drivers would submit an online form about their estimated time of departure and planned routes, the experts said.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS