Several commercial drivers’ groups protested outside the Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday, voicing opposition to a proposed increase in fines for motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians, and calling for stricter penalties on pedestrians who engage in dangerous behavior.
Dozens of drivers parked their cars around the block near the ministry, and held a news conference in front of the ministry building.
Under the ministry’s proposed amendments to the rules governing the issuance of fines for traffic contraventions, motorists who fail to yield at pedestrian crossings or intersections, resulting in minor injuries, would face fines of between NT$18,000 and NT$30,000, up from the current NT$7,200 to NT$12,000.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
If the contravention leads to serious injuries, the fine would rise to NT$36,000, compared with the current range of NT$18,000 to NT$30,000.
Drivers would be fined NT$36,000 if their failure to yield results in a pedestrian’s death, which is unchanged from the current regulations.
The proposed amendments have been made available for public review and are scheduled to take effect next month.
National Automobile Driver’s Rights Alliance president Liu Hong-chang (劉鴻樟) said the voices of drivers should also be listened to.
“Pedestrians who cross the street when the signal is red, or who fail to pay attention while using pedestrian crossings, should not be fined merely a few hundred dollars,” he said.
“Compared with the penalties imposed on drivers, fines for misbehaving pedestrians are disproportionately low. This stark disparity in punishment would lead to frequent conflicts between pedestrians and drivers,” he added.
The protesters also called for pedestrians who do not follow traffic signals while crossing the street to be fined NT$18,000, the same as drivers.
Police should be deployed at key intersections to enforce the rules and deter reckless pedestrians, they said, adding that traffic signals should be redesigned to better separate vehicle and pedestrian flow to improve overall safety.
In response to the demands, Department of Public Transportation and Supervision Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said the proposed amendments mainly focus on cases in which pedestrians are injured or killed due to drivers failing to yield.
“The purpose of imposing heavier fines on drivers is so they would see protecting pedestrians as their top priority,” Lin said.
“We would also step up safety awareness campaigns aimed at pedestrians,” he added.
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