TRANSPORTATION
TRA resumes normal service
Train services in Changhua County returned to normal yesterday, after three days of intermittent signaling system malfunctions resulting in delays during the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, the Taiwan Railways Administration said. At about midnight on Saturday, malfunctioning axle counters were repaired, and trains began running on time early yesterday morning, the agency said. The problem was first detected on Thursday morning at a crossing between Huatan and Yuanlin stations, and it persisted intermittently over the following two days, despite several repair attempts, it said. Trains operated at reduced speeds, as person-to-person communication had to be used to tell train drivers that sections of the track were clear, it said. The agency said stray currents detected near the crossing had been interfering with the axle counters, but it did not give any further information about those currents.
HEALTH
CECC reports 31,854 cases
Taiwan yesterday reported 31,854 new local cases of COVID-19 and 29 deaths from the disease, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said. The deceased ranged in age from their 50s to their 90s, and all but one had chronic illnesses or other severe diseases, the CECC said, adding that 16 were unvaccinated against COVID-19. New Taipei City reported the most new cases, with 6,375, followed by Taichung with 4,220 and Taipei with 3,959. Taoyuan had 3,404 new cases, Kaohsiung 2,588, Tainan 1,796, Changhua County 1,524, Hsinchu County 953, Hsinchu City 824, Miaoli County 803, Pingtung County 799, Yunlin County 749 and Yilan County 738. Keelung had 686 cases, Nantou County had 562, Hualien County 542, Chiayi County 455, Chiayi City 303, Taitung County 279, Kinmen County 168, Penghu County 118 and Lienchiang County nine, the CECC said.
ENVIRONMENT
Gas canisters recyclable: EPA
Disposable gas canisters, frequently used for Mid-Autumn Festival barbecues, should be disposed of properly by placing them with recyclables, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said. Pressurized gas canisters used in camping stoves and outdoor grills can explode, causing a fire on the garbage truck if they are tossed out with compost and solid waste, the agency said. The proper way to dispose of a gas canister is to make sure it is completely empty and place it in a separate bag for recycling, it said. However, the canisters should not be emptied by puncturing, as this can cause an explosion, it said, adding that people should instead burn off any remaining gas in an outdoor area. The same method should be used before disposing of other types of pressurized canisters, including aerosol sunscreens, hair sprays, insecticide sprays and spray paints, it added.
CULTURE
Kaohsiung museum approved
The Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday approved a plan proposed by the Kaohsiung City Government to build an indigenous peoples’ museum in the city’s Niaosong District (鳥松). The project, funded by the central government, would repurpose a youth center on the northern bank of Chengcing Lake (澄清湖) and develop the 14 hectares around it, Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Charles Lin (林欽榮) said, adding that the opening could be as early as 2027. As the only city whose population includes members from all 16 recognized indigenous communities, Kaohsiung is uniquely qualified to host a museum dedicated to indigenous culture, the city government said.
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Traffic controls are to be in place in Taipei starting tonight, police said, as rallies supporting recall efforts targeting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place tomorrow. Traffic controls are to be in place on City Hall Road starting from 10pm tonight and on Jinan Road Section 1 starting from 8am tomorrow, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei advocating for the recall of KMT legislators, along with the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Alliance (反共護台聯盟), have previously announced plans for motorcycle parades and public
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