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Taiwan 2002 |
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Transportation |
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Urban TrafficTraffic in Taiwan's major cities is very congested. Urban planners in all of Taiwan's metropolitan areas must cope with a similar set of challenges: a soaring number of new motorcycles and cars, a limited number of streets, and the complexities of acquiring very scarce space for improvements. Fortunately, countermeasures such as mass rapid transit systems and swift and convenient bus services have alleviated some of the burdens.
Taipei's Traffic ChallengeThe increased number of private vehicles has made traffic congestion and parking worse in the Taipei City. In 2000, there were 666,513 automobiles and 959,013 motorcycles, an increase of 42,436 from the previous year. Therefore, the first priority for the transportation policy is to promote public transportation and to increase the share of public transportation to 50 percent.Preparations for the Taipei Rapid Transit Systems 臺北都會區大眾捷運系統 (TRTS) began in early 1986, when the Executive Yuan 行政院 completed preliminary plans for the network and approved its implementation. The initial network, with a total length of 86.8 kilometers, was scheduled to be completed by the year 2005 at a cost of US$18 billion. The French contractor MATRA started work on the first TRTS linethe Mucha Line--in July 1988. The Mucha Line began service on March 28, 1996. The first section of the Tamsui Line opened on March 28, 1997, and by December 25 of that same year, the entire line was operational. The Chungho Line and the northern section of the Hsintien Line began service in December 1998, while the entire Hsintien Line and the Nankang Line from Taipei City Hall to Lungshan Temple opened at the end of 1999. The Panchiao Line from Lungshan Temple to Hsinpu Station began operation in September 2000. The entire Nankang Line was also operational at the end of 2000. For Taipei's future development needs, the system has been planned to include the initial line, the Hsinchuang Line, the Luchou Line, the Hsinyi Line, the Sungshan Line, the Eastward Extension of the Nankang Line, the Tamhai Line, and the Orbital line, etc. Among these, the Hsinchuang, Luchou, Hsinyi, Sungshan Line and the Nankang Line Extension were approved by the Executive Yuan. The Orbital Line is scheduled to be built under a BOT contract. The corridor study of the Tamhai Line was completed as requested by the Ministry of the Interior and was handed to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for approval.
The Taipei City Government improved the urban transportation by integrating bus and MRT connectivity with 48 feeder bus routes, providing one-way free bus transfers for MRT passengers, and unifying the pricing of bus operations. Countdown timing monitors have also been extensively installed at pedestrian crossings to improve safety. Lanes and parking bays exclusively for motorcycles have also been established. The Taipei City Government has authorized private operators to build parking lots and boosted parking fees to increase the number of parking spaces, raise the parking turnover rate, and reasonably reflect social costs. All of these efforts are designed to create a convenient transportation environment and improve Taipei's quality of life.
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System Development Plan (First Phase)Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan, is also Taiwan's premier harbor and one of the busiest container ports in the world. Rapid industrial development and population growth have accentuated the need for efficient metropolitan transportation. Accordingly, the Kaohsiung City Government 高雄市政府 has planned the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area Mass Rapid Transit System Development Plan (First Term) 高雄都會區大眾捷運系統第一期發展計畫, which was approved by the Executive Yuan in January 1994. The Kaohsiung MRT system is designed to integrate high-speed and regular railways with the city bus system, thus providing a comprehensive mass transportation network.The US$6 billion network will consist of a Red Line and an Orange Line with 37 stations and a total length of 42.7 kilometers. Two additional lines and extensions to both lines are currently in the planning stages. The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) project will be constructed under the BOT approach and has been approved by the Executive Yuan and the Kaohsiung City Council. In 2000, the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. (KRTC) 高雄捷運股份有限公司 won the bid at US$5.38 billion. According to the requirements of contract, the KMRT project will be partially operational in December 2004. The operation of the northern section of the Red Line will begin in December 2005, and the full operation of the Red Line and Orange Line will begin in December 2006.
Rapid Transit in Other CitiesFollowing Taipei's lead, many other cities in Taiwan aside from Kaohsiung have also initiated plans for metropolitan rail transit systems. These cities include Taichung, Tainan, and Taoyuan. Private participation in the rapid transit systems projects for all of these cities is currently under study; however, the only project passing the planning stage so far is Kaohsiung's MRT. |
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