Transportation and Telecommunications
 |
| Of the six leading ports in the Asia-Pacific region (Kaohsiung, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pusan, Shanghai, and Tokyo), Kaohsiung Harbor's links are closer to the other five ports by an average of 53 hours of navigation time. |
Railways
Taiwan's modern railway system provides frequent and convenient passenger service between all major cities on the island. As of December 2001, Taiwan's railway network totaled 1,097 kilometers, an equivalent of 0.05 kilometers per 10,000 people, or 31 meters per square kilometer of land. This railway system transported 12.4 million tons of freight in 2001, 14.57 percent less than in 2000. The number of passengers carried increased 2.82 percent to a total of 186 million.
When Taiwan was returned to the sovereignty of the Republic of China in 1945, its railways were in a desolate state and the majority of its tracks and trains damaged or destroyed because of the Second World War. After initial reconstruction work was completed, the Taiwan railway system underwent a thorough modernization over a period of five decades, and the locomotives were changed from steam diesel to electric. The North Link officially entered service in February 1980, and the South Link was completed in 1992. The complete railway network that is now in place has assumed a significant role in providing inland transportation services for the country's economic development.
The
Taiwan Railway Administration 臺灣鐵路管理局 (TRA) offers four types of passenger
train services. The fastest express class is the Zihciang (Tzuchiang) express
自強號, which only stops at major stations. The next fastest express class, with
more frequent stops at lesser, but still large stations, is the Jyuguang (Chukuang)
express 莒光號. The third class of trains, the Fusing (Fuhsing) express 復興號,
includes stops at every station on designated commuter routes. Finally, local
trains serve mostly long routes, stopping at every station and generally yielding
to higher-priority Zihciang, Jyuguang, and Fusing trains.
The TRA continuously upgrades both its equipment and facilities. It signed a modern fiber-optic network investment agreement with EThome Telecom in January 2001, making it the most successful case so far of a state-run enterprise investing in the telecommunications business. In coordination with government plans to promote domestic tourism and enhance the quality of railway tours, the TRA launched a sightseeing service in 2001, with its first run between Taipei and Hualien.
In July 1999, the TRA began work on a railway structural renovation project that will last through June 2006. This project includes across-the-board enhancements to the rail structure operated by the TRA, effective measures to eliminate incidents resulting from delayed rail maintenance, and the replacement of existing steel rails with U.I.C. (Union International Communiation, an international standard for steel rails) 60 kg steel rails to improve rail rigidity and passenger comfort. The project will be completed at a cost of US$234 million and will effectively cut down on maintainance, reduce noise and vibration, lengthen the operating life of trains, and increase the speed on Taiwan's Western Railway to 130 km/hr.
The TRA has completed many major construction and business renovation projects in recent years, including the double tracking of the mountain line between Jhunan 竹南 and Fenyuan 芬園 and the electrification of the Kaohsiung-Pingtung Line 高屏線. Future projects include renovating Taiwan's track structure; beautifying railroad routes; and improving rail elevation, protective equipment for overhead and level crossings, and train safety facilities. The TRA also invested heavily in service improvements with the purchase of 810 Zihciang express commuter cars, all of which are now in service. In the aspect of business renovation, the TRA has adjusted its pricing structure, received ISO 9000 certification, upgraded ticketing services, strengthened inquiry services, improved travel and transport facilities, built a barrier-free environment, and streamlined other services. The TRA has also diversified itself by investing in telecommunications businesses and land development, so as to improve its financial structure.
High-speed Railway
|
Transportation facilities are administered by several government agencies, including the national Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and various municipal-level agencies. Each agency has different responsibilities depending on the type of transportation. The MOTC has eight offices, departments, and divisions, three of which are devoted to various modes of transportation: Railways and Highways 路政司, Posts and Telecommunications 郵電司, and Navigation and Aviation 航政司. Numerous other MOTC committees are responsible for setting and administering transportation and communications policies. Local municipal units are primarily responsible for developing adequate municipal transportation facilities, but also have significant power over provincial and national transportation facilities located within their city limits. The private sector participates in many areas of transportation, but it is especially prominent in the airline, airport, and shipping sectors. Private sector influence is certain to expand in the future as the government moves toward greater privatization and encourages increased private investment. |
In May 1995, the Legislature approved construction of the HSR using the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model--the first major infrastructure project in Taiwan to be constructed by the private sector under this model. The invitation to tender BOT bids for the HSR was officially announced on October 29, 1996. On July 23, 1998, the MOTC and the Taiwan High Speed Rail Consortium 臺灣高速鐵路股份有限公司 (THSRC) signed the Taiwan North-South HSR Construction and Operation Contract and the Taiwan North-South HSR Station Development Contract, officially granting construction and operation concessions for the project to the THSRC.
The overall construction cost of the HSR project is estimated to be US$13.1 billion, of which 75.5 percent will come from private investment. In addition to the funds for the HSR itself, the MOTC has allocated an additional US$1.3 billion for the construction of roads connecting the train stations to neighboring commercial areas to improve accessibility. The government has already acquired 1,100 hectares of land for construction of the route, and the HSR is expected to begin operations in October 2005. Once operational, travel time from Taipei to Kaohsiung will be cut from 4.5 hours by existing train or highway vehicles to just 90 minutes.
The THSRC has signed a Core System Electrical and Mechanical Equipment Contract with Taiwan Shinkansen Corporation, assuring that the Japan Shinkansen System will be adopted by Taiwan HSR. Bidding has been held for other civil engineering works, such as for station design, and all of the 12 major civil works contracts have already been awarded to local and international contractors. The THSRC has signed a Syndication Loan Contract in the amount of US$10 billion with a syndicate of 25 local banks, led by the Chiao Tung Bank 交通銀行.
Underground Railway Projects
To eliminate traffic jams, reduce noise interference, improve environmental quality, and integrate the Taipei Rapid Transit Systems, the High Speed Rail Project and the Taipei Railway Underground Project were initiated. The latter project was originally meant to be implemented in three stages, but a fourth stage was added in 1998, and similar projects are currently being planned for other major cities.
The first and second stages of the Taipei Railway Underground Project which connected Wanhua 萬華 with Huashan 華山 (including Taipei Main Station) and Huashan with Songshan 松山, respectively, are already operational. Construction of the third stage from Wanhua to Banciao板橋 began in July 1992 and was completed in October 2002. The fourth stage, the Nangang Extension Project, will extend the line further from Songshan to Nangang 南港. Construction of this fourth section, which was coordinated with the development of the Nangang Economic and Trade Park, began on November 1, 1998, and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009. Detailed designs and peripheral construction works for this section are now in progress.
Underground railway projects for Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Tainan are currently in various stages of planning and implementation. The Kaohsiung Railway Underground Project completed its integrated plans in November 1999, pending final approval by the Executive Yuan, and is currently in the detailed design and related construction work stages. The Taipei Railway Underground Project Office started overseeing the integrated planning of the Taichung and Tainan projects on August 23, 1999, and has already completed the integrated planning for both. The MOTC has submitted the plans for Taichung and Tainan to the Executive Yuan for approval.
Upgrading Eastern Railways
Government plans to industrialize the east coast and balance urban and rural development require considerable improvement in the region's railway facilities. In January 1991, the Executive Yuan approved the TRA's Eastern Railway Improvement Project 東部鐵路改善計畫, which focuses on modernizing the 337 kilometers of railway consisting of the Ilan line, the North Link line, and the Hualien-Taitung line. Construction started in July 1991 and is scheduled to be completed in June 2003 at a total cost of US$1.57 billion. Improvements will include electrification, double tracks, heavy rails, a centralized traffic control system, new locomotives, repair facilities, and the relocation of the Hualien depot.
Harbors and Shipping
Maritime transportation is vital to Taiwan's trade-oriented economy. At the end of 2001, the ROC's 115 shipping lines had a fleet of 249 vessels that were over 100 gross tons each, or 4.74 million gross tons in total (7.39 million deadweight tons, DWT). The ROC's fleet of container ships is listed at the top of the world. The largest operator in Taiwan is the Evergreen Marine Corporation 長榮海運公司, which is the second largest container operator in the world.
For many years, people from Taiwan's southern and central regions have called for cultural and economic parity with their fellow citizens in the island's capital-city area. In response to this pressure, the Taiwan government approved a bill in 2001 granting certain city and county governments the right to manage adjacent harbors. These harbor-city merger plans will apply to the international harbor facilities in Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taichung, and Keelung, with the local governments of each responsible for setting up a port management committee to coordinate city planning, transportation, environmental protection, public safety, fire prevention, and health between the port and its host city or county. The mergers are expected to increase local revenue, and therefore boost local development.
Taiwan has six international harbors: Keelung 基隆, Suao 蘇澳, Taichung 臺中, Hualien 花蓮, Anping 安平, and Kaohsiung 高雄. The total cargo handled by these ports totaled 10.42 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, a measurement for cargo equivalent to a standardized 20-foot container) in 2001.
Kaohsiung Harbor
In 2001, Kaohsiung Harbor 高雄港 handled nearly 7.5 million TEUs, making it the fourth largest container port in the world.
Kaohsiung Harbor has 118 operating berths totaling 26.6 kilometers in length that can simultaneously accommodate up to 155 ships of sizes up to 100,000 DWT, or 6,000 TEU. The port's water area is approximately 12.42 square kilometers, and the inner harbor has a depth of 16 meters. Navigation channels for Kaohsiung Harbor are 18 kilometers long, have a tidal range of 0.75 meters, a constant wind speed averaging 2.2 meters/second, and an average temperature of 25 deg C.
The harbor has 5 container terminals, 26 container wharves, 62 gantry cranes, and 293.5 hectares of container yards. It also has two grain silos: one 80,000-metric-ton silo and one 100,000-metric-ton silo. Container Terminal Number Five was completed at the end of 2000.
Kaohsiung Harbor's container terminals provide prompt, accurate, and comprehensive logistical services. The harbor effectively manages import, export, and transshipment containers. Its strategic location makes it the ideal choice for a marine transportation hub in East Asia. Of the six leading ports in the Asia-Pacific region (Kaohsiung, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pusan, Shanghai, and Tokyo), Kaohsiung Harbor's links are closer to the other five ports by an average of 53 hours of navigation time.
Anping Harbor
Anping Harbor 安平港 is located on the western coast of southern Taiwan. It has a 7.5-meter- deep channel navigable by ships of 6,000 DWT. The harbor currently has a 320-meter wharf 3.5 meters deep, a 532-meter wharf 7.5 meters deep, and a 320-meter wharf 9 meters deep. The harbor is managed by the Anping Harbor Branch Bureau of the Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau. Anping Harbor is currently under Phase I expansion to accommodate 20,000-DWT vessels. It has developed into a multifunctional harbor with routes covering Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan's offshore islands. With intensive development, Anping Harbor will help bring prosperity to southern Taiwan.
Keelung Harbor
Located near the northern tip of Taiwan, Keelung Harbor 基隆港 has 57 berths. The harbor has two container terminals, one each on its eastern and western banks. Each terminal has 15 berths measuring a total of 3,517 meters in length, and is equipped with 28 gantry cranes capable of handling 13-18 rows of containers. Other facilities at Keelung Harbor include 202,264 square meters of marshaling yards (of which 80,045 square meters are for rent) and a 50,500-metric-ton grain silo equipped with three vacuum loaders.
In 2001, Keelung Harbor handled nearly 1.82 million TEUs, making it the 29th largest container port in the world. To meet the requirements of global shipping and strengthen the harbor's competitiveness, the phase I and II dredging programs were completed in January 2001, increasing the depth of the main channel to 15.5 meters and enlarging the diameter/width of its turning basin to 650 meters. Keelung Harbor can now accommodate 60,000-DWT conventional cargo ships and Post-Panamax type container ships. In addition, several conventional cargo berths are being converted into container piers. Lastly, to promote operational efficiency and improve quality of service, the Keelung Harbor Bureau began allowing private companies to perform cargo handling and other services in the port on January 1, 1999.
Taichung Harbor
Taichung Harbor 臺中港 is a man-made port covering a total area of about 5,000 hectares. Located on the west coast of central Taiwan, the harbor was designed to help cope with the fast growing needs of national economic development. The port has not only relieved some of the shipping traffic from the heavily used Keelung and Kaohsiung Harbors, it has also aided in balancing population distribution and economic development of Taiwan itself.
Taichung Harbor's main channel and harbor basin are both 14 meters deep during low tide. The port has 45 deep-water wharves and eight container piers at the present time, and since the majority of its equipment is automated, Taichung Harbor is a very efficient port. In 2001, the harbor handled 1.07 million TEUs worth of cargo weighing 75 million metric tons.
Hualien Harbor
Located on Taiwan's east coast, Hualien Harbor 花蓮港 is a relatively small port with 25 deep-water berths totaling 4,742 meters in length. With the completion of a fourth extension in 1991, Hualien Harbor is now capable of simultaneously berthing one 100,000-metric-ton-class vessel in a special terminal for unloading coal, six 60,000-metric-ton vessels, two 30,000 metric tons vessels, fourteen 5,000- to 15,000-metric-ton vessels, and two vessels under 5,000 metric tons. It also has several shallow water wharves with a total length of 504 meters for accommodating fishing boats and other small vessels. In 2001, the harbor handled 15.26 million metric tons of cargo.
Hualien Harbor is the only international port on Taiwan's eastern coast, and is located by the world's second largest marble and granite mine. Recently, active measures have been taken to set up its warehousing transit exclusive zone, as well as a sightseeing port and leisure park.
Suao Harbor
Suao Harbor 蘇澳港 is situated on the northeast coast of Taiwan and serves as an auxiliary port for Keelung Harbor. The total water area of the harbor is about 2.9 square kilometers. The harbor currently has 13 operating berths totaling 2610 meters in length that are 7.5-15 meters deep and capable of accommodating Post-Panamax vessels. Imports and exports passing through Suao Harbor in 2001 exceeded 4.78 million metric tons.
Smaller Harbors
Magong Harbor
Magong Harbor 馬公港 is located southwest of Taiwan in the Pescadores. It currently has one harbor administration building, responsible for operating a 956-meter wharf for both passengers and cargo. This harbor, which is capable of accommodating ships of up to 5,000 DWT, will soon be expanded to include a commercial harbor area, fisheries areas, a shipyard, and a long-term commercial harbor area.
Budai Harbor
Budai Harbor 布袋港, on the western coast of Taiwan, has 7.6-meter-wide navigable channels to accommodate ships of up to 5,000 DWT. So far there are five 7.5-meter deep wharves to accommodate passenger-cargo ships serving offshore islands and domestic coastal shipping.
Taipei Harbor
Taipei Harbor 臺北港 serves as an auxiliary port for Keelung Harbor and is located on the south bank of the Danshuei River near Bali Township's Syuntang Village 八里鄉訊塘村 in Taipei County. Since the primary purpose of the harbor is to relieve some of the heavy traffic burden confronting Keelung Harbor, Taipei Harbor has been undergoing a three-phase expansion of its facilities. The first phase of construction, which involved the construction of two nine-meter-deep berths totaling 340 meters in length and a 70-hectare stacking yard, has already been completed. The second phase, the construction of an outer breakwater 3,810 meters in length, commenced in July 1997 and was completed in February 2002. The third and final phase is set to be completed by 2011. Total imports and exports handled through Taipei Harbor exceeded 3.5 million metric tons in 2001. To enhance the port's competitiveness and comply with privatization policies, plans are being made to lease Taipei Harbor's facilities and open it to public and private investment.
| Airlines Providing Scheduled International Services to/from Taiwan | |
|---|---|
|
Air Canada Air France Asie** Air Macau Air New Zealand Air Nippon American Airlines** Cargolux Airlines International* Cathay Pacific Airways China Airlines Continental Micronesia Dragon Air EVA Airways Evergreen International Airlines* Far Eastern Air Transport Corp. Federal Express Airways* Garuda Indonesia Airlines Gemini Air Cargo* Japan Asia Airways KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Malaysian Airlines |
Mandarin Airlines
Martinair Holland* Northwest Airlines Pacific Airlines Philippine Airlines Polar Air Cargo* Qantas Airways Royal Brunei Airways Saudi Arabia Airlines* Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Cargo* Swiss Air** Thai Airways TransAsia Airways UNI Airways United Airlines United Parcel Service* Viet Air *Cargo services only
|
Civil Aviation
In the middle of 2002, a total of 38 airlines, including code-share airlines, provided flight services to destinations in Taiwan. Of these airlines, 32 foreign carriers and 6 domestic airlines (EVA Airways, Mandarin Airlines, China Airlines, TransAsia Airways, UNI Airways, and Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation) operated scheduled international air services to and from Taiwan. Six companies, including two helicopter operators, also offered domestic passenger flight services.
There are currently two international airports in the Taiwan area: Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) International Airport 中正國際機場 at Taoyuan in northern Taiwan and Kaohsiung International Airport 高雄國際機場 in the south. In addition, there are 15 domestic airports in operation: Taipei, Hualien, Taitung, Taichung, Tainan, Chia-I, Pingtung 屏東, Magong 馬公, Cimei 七美, Orchid Island 蘭嶼, Green Island 綠島, Wangan 望安, Kinmen 金門, Beigan 北竿, and Nangan 南竿 (both on Matsu). Since domestic air travel is expected to grow at an annual rate of about 10 percent over the next five years, work is currently under way to expand capacity at most of Taiwan's airports, with facilities at the CKS, Tainan, Hualien, Magong, Taitung, Pingtung, Hengchun, and Beigan airports already undergoing renovations.
Due to the global economic recession, overall air transportation in Taiwan decreased in 2001, compared with 2000. The number of inbound and outbound international passengers decreased 1.4 percent from 19.8 million in 2000 to 19.5 million. The total number of passengers for this same period, including international and domestic passengers, decreased 4.8 percent to 46.0 million. The international air cargo handled decreased 2.4 percent from 1.30 million tons in 2000 to 1.27 million tons, while the number of flights dropped from 586,560 in 2000 to 561,910 in 2001 .
Far Eastern Air Transport 遠東航空公司 Mandarin Airlines 華信航空公司 TransAsia Airways 復興航空公司 UNI Airways 立榮航空公司 Daily Air Corporation 德安航空公司 Sunrise Airlines 中興航空公司 |
In addition to the CKS International Airport, the Kaohsiung International Airport also serves the ROC's civil air transportation system. Since the opening of the new international passenger terminal on January 11, 1997, further expansions of airport facilities have continued in order to transform Kaohsiung into a regional business operations center. Completion of the planned construction and expansion projects at the airport are also expected to attract greater investments by transport businesses and international couriers, increasing airport operations and the city's offshore transshipments.
Taiwan authorities have been negotiating additional air traffic rights for domestic carriers operating international air services. In 2001 and the first half of 2002, Taiwan revised or concluded new aviation agreements with Brunei, Germany, India, Indonesia, Austria, England, Luxembourg, Belgium, Thailand, Japan, Macau, and Hong Kong. Taiwan also plans to sign aviation accords with other countries with market potential.
|
Highways in Taiwan are classified according to the level of government having jurisdiction over them. Thus, highways are either national 國道, provincial 省道, county 縣道, township 鄉道, city 市道, or special highways 專用公路. There are six different kinds of highways: the freeway 高速公路, the round-the-island highway 環島公路, the cross-island highway 橫貫公路, the longitudinal highway 縱貫公路, the coastal highway 濱海公路, and the connecting highway 聯絡公路. |
Highways and Freeways
In 2001, there were 17.47 million motor vehicles in Taiwan, a 2.6 percent increase from the previous year. However, the number of highway passengers for the year was 1.09 billion, down 1.2 percent from 2000. Cargo transported via Taiwan's highways and freeways also decreased by 12.5 percent, to 301 million tons in 2001.
Sun Yat-sen Freeway
Inaugurated in 1978, the Sun Yat-sen Freeway 中山高速公路 (also called the North-South Freeway) was Taiwan's first national freeway. The 373-kilometer-long route connects Kao-hsiung in the south with both Taipei and Keelung in the north. The freeway is still the island's primary north-south thoroughfare, and the rapid rate at which the traffic load has grown since its opening has resulted in significant wear and tear. Thus, a number of recent transportation projects and plans have been focused on ensuring that the Sun Yat-sen Freeway remains a safe and efficient traffic corridor.
To relieve congestion along the section of the freeway running through Taipei, two 21-kilometer-long elevated viaducts have been constructed that run parallel with the Sun Yat-sen Freeway from the Sijhih 汐止 interchange in the north to the Wugu 五股 interchange in the south.
Several other sections of the freeway running through northern and central Taiwan are also becoming heavily congested. A 27.6-kilometer-long section of the four-lane freeway running from Yangmei 楊梅 to Hsinchu is one such stretch. To alleviate this situation, an additional lane is being added to each side, and interchanges, toll stations, and service areas are being improved. An extra lane is also being added to each side of the heavily used 112-kilometer section from Hsinchu to Yuanlin 員林. This US$480 million project, which began in November 1994, was completed in January 2002.
 |
| Taiwan's vast and comprehensive highway network has greatly shortened the distance between north and south, as well as east and west. (Courtesy of Tang Hsian-ping) |
The Sun Yat-sen Freeway is also becoming saturated in southern Taiwan, and preliminary plans were drawn up to widen the section between Yuanlin and Kaohsiung at the end of 1997. This US$1.39 billion project would begin at the Yuanlin interchange and run 158 kilometers to the Wujia interchange 五甲交流道 in Kaohsiung. One lane would also be added to each side of the freeway, and two lanes are under consideration for a 4.3-kilometer stretch running through the Kaohsiung metropolitan area. For some sections, bidding and construction started at the beginning of 1998. The project is expected to be completed by 2007.
The volume of traffic on the Sun Yat-sen Freeway has grown by an average of 11 percent annually since its opening. This heavy traffic load, combined with a hot climate, abundant rainfall, and overloaded trucks and trailers, has caused considerable damage to the freeway's surface. To maintain road quality, many five-year road surface repair projects have been completed since 1982.
In addition to expansion and maintenance projects, some major repair work is also being undertaken. The portion of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway crossing central Taiwan's Jhuoshuei River 濁水溪 at the Sino-Saudi Arabian Bridge 中沙大橋 is one such area. The riverbed has deepened over the years because of excessive gravel removal and flooding during typhoons, and thus work is being done to protect the pier and stabilize the riverbed.
New Freeways
 |
| In Taiwan, highways are not just built to connect people and places, but also for aesthetic purposes. |
The Second Freeway is generally divided into the Second Northern Freeway 北部第二高速公路 and its extension. The northern section was opened to traffic in 1996. With a length of 99 kilometers, the main route stretches from northern Taipei to Hsinchu. In addition, it includes a 6-kilometer-long Taipei connecting route and a 12-kilometer-long inner beltway to the CKS International Airport. Construction of the Extension to the Second Freeway was begun in 1993 and connects Keelung in the north with Pingtung in the south. The main route is 333 kilometers long, and it has four branches totaling 68 kilometers in length, including a 45-kilometer southern section between Tainan and Kaohsiung counties that was opened to traffic in early 2000. The Second Freeway is scheduled to be completed in 2003.
The Taipei-Ilan Freeway 北宜高速公路, which has been under construction since July 1992, will connect the Second Freeway in eastern Taipei with northern Ilan County. Most of the 31-kilometer freeway, including 11 tunnelsthe longest of which is 12.9 kilometers longand 27 bridges, has already been completed. Additional plans, however, call for extending the freeway another 24 kilometers past the Ilan Plain to Suao. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2003. Once finished, the current three-hour drive from Taipei to Ilan will be shortened to a mere 40 minutes.
The remaining portions of the Taiwan Expressway Network Project, including the Eastern Expressway from Suao via Hualien to Taitung (240 kilometers), the Southern Cross-island Expressway from Taitung to Pingtung (76 kilometers), and the Central Cross-island Expressway from Taichung to Hualien (127 kilometers), are all in the design or planning stages.
Freeway Traffic Control
During holidays, traffic volume is generally 30 to 50 percent above normal. Accordingly, the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau (TANFB) under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications 交通部臺灣區國道高速公路局 has adopted a ramp metering control system 匝道儀控管制系統 to maintain an acceptable flow of traffic. This system was introduced on four national holidays in 1993, and after proving to be fairly effective, was gradually extended to include long holidays, weekends, and normal weekdays. The TANFB has implemented a fully automated ramp metering control system over the entire Sun Yat-sen Freeway at a cost of US$14.1 million.
To increase the effectiveness of the ramp metering control system and smooth the flow of traffic on the freeway during long holidays, High Occupancy Vehicle Control 高乘載車輛專用通行時段管制 has been in force since the 1995 Chinese New Year holiday. This system involves allocating different time slots during which vehicles, depending on their number of passengers, can enter the freeways. High occupancy vehicles, such as buses and cars carrying at least four people, are given priority. As a result, congestion on the freeways during holidays has been significantly reduced.
|
Traffic control is the joint responsibility of the Traffic Division of the National Police Administration 內政部警政署交通組, the Highway Police Bureau 公路警察局, the Taiwan Provincial Highway Police Corps 公路警察大隊, and all local police departments, with the Airborne Squadron 空中警察隊 also assisting when necessary. |
Tolls
Taiwan has 18 toll stations: 10 along the Sun Yat-sen Freeway and 8 along the Second Freeway. Standard tolls are NT$40 (US$1.14) for cars, NT$50 (US$1.43) for buses and small trucks, and NT$65 (US$1.86) for trailer trucks. In 2001, a total of 447,667,470 vehicles passed through toll stations, raising a toll revenue of NT$18 billion (US$514.29 million).
To help vehicles pass through more quickly, there are also "No Change" lanes at every toll station in which drivers are encouraged to use coupons that have been conveniently purchased in advance at post offices, gas and toll stations, and service areas.
Urban Traffic
Traffic 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 lanes have alleviated some of the burdens.
|
The number of motorcycles and cars in Taiwan has continued to increase in recent years as strong overall economic growth and rising personal incomes have made the purchase of motor vehicles commonplace. In 2001, there were 17.47 million motor vehicles in the Taiwan area, more than 4.71 million of which were passenger cars. By comparison, there were only 10.05 million vehicles and 2.26 million passenger cars in 1990. With such skyrocketing growth, parking has long been a serious problem. Accordingly, the MOTC has recommended in its revision of the Highway Law 公路法 (which has been submitted to the Legislature for approval) that every car buyer be required to have a personal parking space. Even so, alleviating the serious shortage of parking spaces in Taiwan will take time. The Public Parking Lot Construction Plan 政府興建公共停車場五年投資計畫, which calls for building 308 new parking lots in major cities around the island, is currently been implemented at an estimated cost of US$722.86 million. |
Taipei's Traffic Challenge
The increased number of private vehicles has made traffic congestion and parking worse in Taipei City. In May 2002, there were 670,166 automobiles and 964,852 motorcycles, an increase of 3,653 and 5,839, respectively, from the previous year. Therefore, the top priority for Taipei's transportation policy has been to promote public transportation.
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 a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) 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.
Since then, the Taipei City Government has improved urban transportation ever more by integrating bus and MRT connectivity with 48 feeder bus routes; providing free, one-way bus transfers for MRT passengers; and unifying the pricing of all bus operations. Crosswalk monitors with countdown timers 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 additional parking lots and boost 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 more convenient transportation environment and improve Taipei's quality of life.
|
Mucha Line 木柵線 * While the Taiwan Yearbook 2003 employs Tongyong Pinyin for the romanization of Chinese characters, the spellings in this summary and in the Taipei Metropolitan Area Mass Rapid Transit Systems Developing Network map have been left unchanged from the material provided by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation for the convenience of visitors. |
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System Development Plan (First Phase)
Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan, is also Taiwan's premier harbor. 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 completed the first phase of the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area Mass Rapid Transit System Development Plan 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 Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) 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 are currently in their planning stages. The KMRT project will be constructed under the BOT approach and has already been approved by both the Executive Yuan and the Kaohsiung City Council. In 2000, the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. 高雄捷運股份有限公司 (KRTC) won the bid to construct the system at US$5.38 billion. According to the requirements of the contract, the concession period is 36 years, i.e., 6 years for construction and 30 years for operation. So far, construction has proceeded smoothly and according to schedule. The KMRT project is expected to conduct its first test run in December 2004, start partial operations in April 2007, and begin full operations of the Red and Orange lines in October 2007.
|
In June 2002, there were approximately 35,951 registered taxi cabs on the streets of Taipei City. Of these, 20,123 were operated by 1,437 taxi companies, another 7,739 were individually owned taxis, and 8,089 belonged to 18 transportation cooperatives. In December 2000, a slight fare increase was implemented. Although the base fare remained the same, the distance and time increments for when the meter changes was lowered. Many major hotels now record the license plate numbers of taxi cabs used by their guests to ensure that the passengers have meaningful information with which to report to the passenger hotline listed below should there be any problem with a trip. |
||
| Effective Taipei Taxi Fares as of December 1, 2000 | ||
| Daytime (6 a.m. - 11 p.m.) | Nighttime (11 p.m. - 6 a.m.) | |
| Base fare | NT$70 (1,500 m) | NT$70 (1,250 m) |
| Distance Increment | NT$5 (300 m) | NT$5 (250 m) |
| Time Increment | NT$5 every 2 min. under 5 km/hr. | NT$5 every 1.7 min. under 5 km/hr. |
Regular additions to total fare:NT$10 for a dispatched cab |
||
| Complaints about Taxi Service | ||
| Passenger Hotline--Taipei City Police Headquarters 臺北市警察局
(02) 2394-9007 Bureau of Transportation, Taipei City Government 臺北市交通局 (02) 2725-6888 Office of Motor Vehicle Inspection, Taipei City Government 臺北市監理處 (02) 2767-8217 |
||
| Source: Bureau of Transportation, Taipei City Government | ||
Rapid Transit in Other Cities
Following Taipei's lead, many other cities in Taiwan aside from Kaohsiung have also initiated plans for MRT systems. These cities include Taichung, Tainan, and Taoyuan. Private participation in MRT projects for all of these cities is currently under study; however, the only project to pass the planning stage so far is Kaohsiung's MRT.
Telecommunications
To comply with WTO requirements, Taiwan has increasingly liberalized its telecommunications sector, established a mechanism for fair competition, and accelerated the development of its broadband network infrastructure.
Mobile phone, radio paging, trunking radio, and mobile data services were open to the private sector in 1997; followed by satellite communications in 1998; cable leasing and 1900MHz digital low-power cordless phone services in 1999; fixed networking and international submarine cable leased-circuit services in 2000; and international simple resale (ISR) and third-generation mobile telecommunications services in 2001.
Local phone services are currently available via fixed networks throughout Taiwan. Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. 中華電信股份有限公司 (CHT), which dominates Taiwan's telecommunications market, was joined by three private competitors in fixed networking in 2001. These networks are all interconnected, facilitating dial-up connections to selected local phone service providers and a choice of long-distance and international phone service providers. Local and toll-free phone subscribers have been allowed to retain their original phone numbers even after they have switched to a new service provider. As of November 2002, local phone subscribers totaled 13.09 million, pushing the penetration rate up to 58.2 percent.
Since their liberalization at the end of 1997, mobile phone services have become more diverse, and the number of subscribers has increased. As of November 2002, mobile phone users totalled 23.80 million, or a penetration rate of 105.7 percent. The MOTC auctioned off five licenses for broadband wireless telecommunications service providers in February 2002.
CHT currently employs a fiber-in-the-loop technique to provide telecommunications
services to some residential and commercial buildings, communities, and schools
in remote areas, which together account for only 1 percent of its subscribers.
Based on the success of this techniques, plans are underway to extend its use
to government organizations, educational and medical institutions, commercial
buildings, and industrial parks.
In compliance with the government's liberalization policies, local and long-distance leased-circuit cable services are being opened to public utility corporations employing cable transmission networks in order to increase competition, lower operating costs, and facilitate the establishment of faster networks by related service providers. The MOTC began accepting applications in June 1999 from electric power, mass transportation, petroleum, and cable radio and television systems, and by the end of 2002, had issued 27 licenses.
As Taiwan's Internet penetration rate rose, e-commerce developed and demand for broadband networking expanded. Permits were issued to three companies for establishing international submarine cable leasing operations, expanding the international submarine cable traffic capacity, lowering related costs, and enhancing Taiwan's competitive edge in the global telecommunications market.
As of November 2002, Taiwan's active Internet users totaled 8.35 million, representing a 6.78 percent growth from December 2001 and an overall penetration rate of 37 percent. The steady rise in these figures is attributed to the increased availability of broadband services. As of November 2002, broadband subscribers totaled 2.03 million, a jump of 710 percent from the end of 2000. In contrast, as of September 2002, users of comparably slower traditional Internet services showed a decline, with leased-line, ISDN, and direct PC subscribers decreasing by 3 percent, 8 percent, and 19 percent, respectively, from June 2002. Dial-up subscribers, however, increased by one percent for that same time period.
Related Websites
- Ministry of Transportation and Communications
- Directorate General of Telecommunications
- Institute for Information Industry
 |
PREVIOUS | CONTENTS | TOP | NEXT |  |
Best viewed with Netscape 4.x or IE 5.x (medium font) at 1024 x 768 True Color (32 bit) resolution