The Transportation Ministry continues to develop projects and implement new measures in an effort to distance Taiwan from its “pedestrian hell” label. Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) announced to the Legislature on Thursday that they aim to reduce the pedestrian mortality rate by 7% this year, particularly among the elderly.
This past Sunday, two female students enrolled at Taichung’s Tunghai University were struck by a public bus at a crosswalk, injuring one and resulting in the death of the other. The incident has reignited public dissatisfaction with pedestrian safety in Taiwan.
To address the issue, the Transportation Ministry and Interior Ministry are promoting a four-year pedestrian safety plan targeting 799 intersections, school zones, and other dangerous areas for pedestrians as priority projects. They expect to complete 400 improvement projects by the end of the month; the remainder will be completed by the end of the year.
During Thursday’s meeting, which was arranged by the Legislative Transportation Committee, Chen explained that the majority of pedestrian accidents are among the elderly. In addition to completing the aforementioned improvement projects, he said they are significantly increasing the budget for television and print advertisements in order to better inform this demographic. Chen hopes to reduce pedestrian mortality by 50% by 2030.
Regarding the bus accident involving the Tunghai University students, Chen said that the bus driver failed to stop at the intersection. Highway and Road Safety Director Huang Yun-kuei (黃運貴) said that public transportation operators whose drivers fail to stop for pedestrians will face consequences such as loss of subsidies.