The Taipei sections of the MRT’s Circular (Yellow) Line are shovel-ready and await the approval of funding from the central government, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said at a news conference on Thursday following an inspection of a proposed construction site.
The city government has locked in bids for most of the eight planned sections that would link the two terminal stations of the completed portion of the metro line in New Taipei City, Chiang said.
Contracts have been signed to construct four of the six sections in northern areas of Taipei and both southern sections, he said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The municipality overcame steep challenges to award tenders for three sections amid a surge in the cost of raw materials and supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said.
The city government held numerous conferences and was aggressive in its efforts to convince construction firms to bid for contracts, Chiang said.
Last month, Taipei awarded a contract for part of the proposed line’s much-anticipated eastern portion in Neihu District (內湖), which is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area, he said.
Asked about an ongoing dispute between the Taipei City Government and BES Engineering Corp over damage to the completed portion of the line after an earthquake on April 3, Chiang said that the city is looking for a third party to arbitrate.
BES has refused to pay for repairs following the tremor, saying that former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) voided the warranty by cutting the ribbon on construction before quality control assessments had been completed.
Hopefully, a trusted institution can be found to determine whether the damage was due to the natural disaster or flawed construction, Chiang said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS