The legislature's Transportation Committee today froze 10 percent of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' (MOTC) transportation planning budget, after it failed to meet its annual goals for reducing traffic casualties.
During a preliminary review of the central government's budget for this fiscal year, lawmakers resolved to withhold 10 percent of a NT$973.14 million (US$30.99 million) allocation intended for transportation planning and industry development.
To unlock the funds, the ministry must establish quantifiable improvement goals and submit a written report to the committee within one month, lawmakers said.
Photo: Huang Yi-ching, Taipei Times
The bipartisan move came after multiple legislators criticized the ministry for falling short of its stated goal to reduce overall traffic deaths and injuries by 5 percent annually.
Traffic fatalities dropped by only about 2.4 percent — from 3,023 in 2023 to 2,950 in 2024 — failing to meet the target, lawmakers said.
Furthermore, data from the ministry’s own road safety Web site showed that total traffic accidents, as well as casualties among vulnerable groups such as children, teenagers and seniors, were actually higher last year than in 2024, they added.
The committee also slashed other MOTC initiatives, including NT$6 million from the ministry's smart system development budget.
Lawmakers cited the ministry's failure to adequately explain the differences between related projects and the reasons behind the funding increases.
Meanwhile, budget proposals concerning the road safety information Web site and media promotion campaigns were reserved for cross-caucus negotiations due to a lack of consensus.
A ministry official told the committee that while the injury figures were disappointing, they did not reflect a nationwide failure.
Although injuries rose in certain areas, they actually decreased in 15 of the nation's 22 municipalities, the official said.
To address the shortcomings, the ministry would analyze the specific causes behind the regional increases and provide targeted guidance to the local governments struggling to improve road safety, the official added.
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