The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday said that it aims to have lawmakers deliberate a draft “Taiwan railway corporation act” in the next legislative session.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) was speaking at the ministry’s new year news conference when asked about progress on reforming the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and turning it into a state-run corporation.
When Wang took office in April last year, his No. 1 pledge was to accomplish the transformation in three years.
Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei Times
As a 134-year-old railway service, the TRA faces tremendous operational challenges due to antiquated facilities and a failure to train young employees to replenish an aging workforce, Wang told reporters.
The public has called for comprehensive reform of the agency following the derailments of a Puyuma Express train in 2018 and a Taroko Express train last year, he said, adding that reform remains a top priority at the ministry this year.
“Last year, we reinforced the supervision and management of construction sites along railway lines and addressed the safety issues at high-risk railway sections. We also increased the maintenance capacity for railway lines, and established a clear reward and punishment system for employees,” he said.
“This year, we will push for an amendment to the Railway Act (鐵路法) and a draft act that would transform the TRA from a government agency into a state-run corporation. We will also introduce a safety management system similar to that used in the civil aviation industry to control the quality of the railway service,” he added.
Wang said that he has begun meeting with representatives of the Taiwan Railways Labor Union to explain about the necessity and benefits of the agency becoming a state-run corporation, adding that union members have also proposed some constructive ideas.
“We still need to communicate with union members about the details of the bill, but our goal is to have lawmakers deliberate the draft act at the upcoming legislative session,” Wang said.
The union said on its Web site that the ministry’s plan to establish a “Taiwan Railway Corp” is a scam, adding that the reform should instead focus on enhancing the safety of the railway system.
Union members also questioned whether the ministry’s plan would significantly improve the financial soundness of the agency, which has accumulated more than NT$400 billion (US$14.48 billion) in debt over the years, according to media reports.
Union members have proposed that the government budget more money to fund the TRA’s pension funds and long-term debts, while waiving about NT$130 billion in short-term debt.
TRA Director-General Tu Wei (杜微) said that the agency is exploring ways to deal with debts accumulated due to being charged with implementing national policies, as long as it lead to positive development as a state-run corporation.
Some of the union members’ suggestions are to become part of the reform plan, he added.
In related news, Wang confirmed that the ministry would next week review plans to construct a high-speed rail extension line to Yilan and an MRT line between Taipei and Keelung.
If the reviews go smoothly, the plans would be reviewed by members of the environmental impact assessment committee after the Lunar New Year holiday, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Allen Hu (胡湘麟) said.
“We have no control over when the projects will be approved by the committee,” Hu said. “The committee might take longer to review the high-speed rail extension line, which has avoided the catchment area for the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫), but would still pass through a geologically sensitive zone.”
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