As part of the ongoing effort to shed Taiwan’s reputation as a “pedestrian hell,” the Interior Ministry, Transportation Ministry, and other governing bodies officially launched a new platform for roadway improvement on Monday. Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said they are working to improve Taiwan’s road and traffic environment and plan to continue investing resources to this end.
Liu said that the Interior Ministry intends to invest NT$40 billion (over US$1.23 billion) in a four-year sustainable improvement plan for pedestrian safety. She elaborated that the project will include engineering design and traffic signal improvement projects aiming to help repair Taiwan’s international image as a notoriously dangerous place for pedestrians.
In 2022, a Facebook page founded by Ray Yang (楊威榮) entitled “Taiwan is a living hell for pedestrians” went viral, collecting thousands of followers for pointing out poorly designed crosswalks and other issues that make places throughout Taiwan insufficiently walkable. Since then, the government has established a number of new regulations promoting traffic equality.
Officials explained that members of the public can directly participate in road improvement using the new platform through a vote submission system. The top 10 highest-voted road infrastructure projects will receive priority for government subsidies. There will also be a lottery draw for participating users.