Travelers can rest assured that protests will not disrupt train service this week during the Lunar New Year holidays, which is the biggest travel period every year in Taiwan.
More than a thousand train drivers protested on Saturday by slowing down trains at railroad crossings. That affected the travel plans of some 60,000 passengers on Valentine’s Day.
The drivers were demanding improvements to railroad crossing safety systems and working conditions.
The drivers and the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) managed to solve their differences in a meeting on Monday. The two sides hammered out four consensuses, including a promise by railway officials to deal with the safety measures and hire more workers. The drivers also agreed to provide service as usual during the holidays, which begin on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, TRA has agreed to hire 153 guards during the holiday period to ensure safety at railroad crossings. The transportation ministry has also agreed to help TRA hire some 1,318 new workers, starting with 132 new hires this year.