Siaoliuciou Island (小琉球), a popular vacation destination off the western coast of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, would get its first traffic light in August, the county government said today.
The traffic light is to be installed in accordance with a National Bureau of Land Management plan to improve road safety around school campuses, Chen Pin-chen (陳品蓁), an official in the Pingtung County Police Bureau's traffic division, said in a call with reporters.
The light is to be located at the intersection of Fuxing and Xiangpu roads near Cyuande Elementary School, where there is a high volume of traffic due to economic and tourism-related activities, Chen said.
Photo courtesy of the Pingtung County Police Bureau Donggang Branch
The police department said it expects to do a final check on the traffic light in July after which the light would start being operational in August.
Opinions about the traffic light's installation were mixed on the island, which is visited by more than 1 million tourists each year despite having only 12,000 permanent residents.
In a Facebook group titled "Siaoliuciou Alliance," some commenters welcomed the addition, saying it would make the area safer for people and animals.
Another user, however, said one traffic light would eventually lead to the installation of more, and would eventually "urbanize" the island and destroy its rustic charm.
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