The Executive Yuan yesterday announced measures to improve the safety and stability of the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) service and change its business model.
The government has pledged to reform the nation’s oldest and largest railway agency since the Taroko Express No. 408 derailment on April 2, which killed 49 people and injured 244.
In a Cabinet meeting earlier yesterday — which was attended by officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications; the Ministry of Finance; the National Development Council; the Public Construction Commission; the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration; and Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics — Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was briefed on key measures to be implemented.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Su has prioritized safety, stability and transformation as the government seeks to reform the railway agency, the Executive Yuan said in a statement following the three-hour meeting.
To enhance TRA safety, Su has suspended 204 temporary track projects across the nation as the Railway Bureau conducts a comprehensive inspection, it said.
Construction would only resume after the bureau finds that all sites are safe and that the necessary regulations are in place to keep them safe, it said, adding that the bureau would manage the TRA’s railway construction projects.
The TRA is to set up operational centers in northern, central, eastern and southern Taiwan to oversee the integration of its electrical engineering, rolling stock, construction and transportation departments, the Executive Yuan said.
All slope containment projects along the TRA’s tracks would be thoroughly inspected to ensure that the safety measures in place could prevent foreign objects from blocking the tracks, it said, adding that the TRA could freely access any state-owned property to make slopes safe.
Artificial intelligence would be used to monitor workers’ access to construction sites and ensure their safety, it said, adding that construction site supervisors would be given handheld radios to quickly contact the railway agency in an emergency.
“The TRA should be responsible for the safety of construction sites and not leave the responsibility to the contractors,” it said. “There should also be a mechanism to ensure that contractors strictly follow safety regulations.”
Su was quoted as saying that the TRA has accumulated massive debt over the years, as it has been tasked by the government to serve remote areas, which are less profitable routes.
“The government will become responsible for the agency’s debt. Construction costs on projects that don’t pay for themselves and the agency’s annual pension fund payment, as well as certain interest payments, are also to be paid by the government,” the statement said.
Government officials and outside experts would work together on the possibility of turning the TRA into a state-run corporation, the statement added.
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