Taipei would continue to assess the feasibility of a cat-friendly train on its Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday.
Chiang made the remarks as the Taipei City Government held a “Canine Outing Day” event promoting dog-friendly bus and MRT rides, which drew criticism from cat owners who said similar initiatives should be extended to other pets.
The city government had consulted experts and initially excluded cats, citing their more reserved nature, but has asked Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) to further evaluate the issue, Chiang said.
Photo: Kan Meng-lin, Taipei Times
Taipei operates more than 20 dog-friendly bus routes and has more than 20 dog parks, he said, adding that the city would continue efforts to promote a pet-friendly environment.
Held to mark World Pet Day, yesterday’s event offered free rides on designated dog-friendly buses between Taipei 101 and Jingqin Dog Park, where dogs could move freely without leashes. On the MRT, four Red Line cars were also designated dog-friendly yesterday, allowing pets to ride without cages between Xiangshan Station and Tamsui Station.
A participant surnamed Kang (康), who traveled from Tamsui Station to Taipei 101 Station with her dog, said boarding was smooth, but movement was difficult during peak hours.
Some passengers complained of crowding, with one owner forced to carry a shiba inu throughout the trip.
Another participant, surnamed Lin (林), said passengers at Taipei Main Station were generally accommodating and made space for her pet.
Some pet owners suggested designating pet-only cars to ease concerns among pet owners and other passengers.
TRTC official Liu Shih-chu (劉士莒) said the company would continue to gather public feedback to refine policies on pets and space allocation, particularly on weekends and holidays, when ridership is higher.
The military has spotted two Chinese warships operating in waters near Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait and sent its own naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Beijing sends warships and warplanes into the waters and skies around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, drawing condemnation from Taipei. While the ministry offers daily updates on the locations of Chinese military aircraft, it only rarely gives details of where Chinese warships are operating, generally only when it detects aircraft carriers, as happened last week. A Chinese destroyer and a frigate entered waters to the southwest
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
Taiwan Railways Corp (TRC) today announced that Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has been selected as the preferred bidder to operate the Taipei Railway Station shopping mall, replacing the current operator, Breeze Development Co Ltd. Among eight qualified firms that delivered presentations and were evaluated by a review committee, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi was ranked first, while Breeze was named the runner-up, the rail company said in a statement. Contract negotiations are to proceed in accordance with regulations, it said, adding that if negotiations with the top bidder fail, it could invite the second-ranked applicant to enter talks. Breeze in a statement today expressed doubts over
RSS