Using hand-held or power tools that disturb the peace in noise-restricted areas in Taipei City would be banned at certain times, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Environmental Protection said on Friday.
The amendment, effective immediately, states that construction workers or interior decorators would no longer be allowed to use hand-held or power tools that would create noise and disturb the peace in residences and high-rise buildings in noise-restricted areas from 10pm to 8am the following day and from noon to 2pm on weekdays, and from 6pm to 8am the next day on weekends.
Contravening the ordinance could result in a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$30,000 (US$93.97 to US$939.67) per report, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Government’s Department of Environmental Protection
City regulations have also divided the city into four noise restriction categories: the first is absolute quiet, the second is reserved for residential areas, the third is for residential, commercial and industrial areas, and the fourth is for industrial or traffic-related areas.
The previous version of the ordinance only stated that construction workers could not use hand-held or power tools at the aforementioned times in category 1 to 3 areas and forbade the use of hand-held or power tools for interior renovation at the aforementioned times across all categories.
The department said the ban was in response to the 7,424 complaints Taipei City residents filed about noise produced by hand-held or power tools, which accounted for 35.3 percent of noise pollution complaints in the city.
Noise generated by interior renovation accounted for 80 percent of complaints about hand-held or power tools, the department added.
The ordinance was amended given the overwhelming complaints from Taipei residents, Air and Noise Pollution Prevention Division Chiu Tian-an (邱天安) said, adding that they hope to restrict noise pollution and guarantee peace and quiet.
He urged people to report any contraventions by calling the 1999 hotline.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
The New Taipei City Art Museum this weekend plans to celebrate its first anniversary with a two-day extravaganza featuring live concerts and a large-scale synchronized fireworks and drone display, the New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department said. The two-day celebrations are to take place in the museum’s outdoor park, with markets and live performances by singers including Ann Bai (白安), Bii (畢書盡) and the Cosmos People (宇宙人), the department said. The highlight on both evenings would be the "Echoes of Light" show, an aerial spectacle combining fireworks and drone performances designed around the concept of "dual stages in the sky," it