Transportation and Communications Minister Wang Kwo-Tsai (王國材) on Friday encouraged travelers to avoid Taiwan’s main highways to prevent traffic jams expected during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. Friday marks the first day of the festival and begins the long holiday weekend, where many commuters around the island make their way home to family and friends.
With the expected travel rush, Wang suggested commuters take Provincial Highway No. 61 instead of the main highways, as well as travel in the afternoon in order to smooth out traffic flows.
Wang says he personally inspected the flow of traffic on the highways and noted the areas of congestion. He says that the number of vehicles on the road was similar to that of last year’s holiday, about 1.4 times higher than the normal traffic volume.