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Transport ministry considers opening up improved Suhua Highway to white-plated motorcycles

Transport ministry considers opening up improved Suhua Highway to white-plated motorcycles

2022-07-28

The Directorate General of Highways is considering allowing more types of motorcycles on the improved Suhua Highway, after a successful trial for heavy motorbikes. The agency is considering opening up the road to motorbikes with white number plates, that is bikes of between 50 and 250 cubic centimeters. Four proposals to make that happen are on the table, including two that would remove the hard shoulder on the road and replace it with an additional traffic lane.

Since last September, large motorcycles like these have been allowed to circulate on the improved Suhua Highway. The six-month trial ended recently and heavy motorbikes could soon be allowed on the road on a permanent basis. Now, the Directorate General of Highways says the next step is to open up the highway to motorcycles with white number plates, between 50 and 250 cubic centimeters. Already, four proposals are on the table for approval from the transport ministry.

Chiang Yu-fong
Directorate General of Highways
There may be another meeting, or perhaps one of the proposals will be implemented. All of the proposals have safety as their top priority.

There are four proposals. The first of them would allow white plate motorcycles to circulate alongside sedan cars on the fast lane, leaving the road shoulder for emergency vehicles. The second would get motorcycles driving on the shoulder only, with some provisions to allow emergency vehicles to circulate as well. The third and fourth proposals would do away with the hard shoulder and replace it with a slow-vehicle lane or a regular lane. Since these two proposals would necessitate adjustments to the current layout, they are less feasible than the others.

Chiang Yu-fong
Directorate General of Highways
The last two proposals would require changing the current lane distribution, and would therefore have a bigger impact on the road. They could even require an environmental assessment and would even affect the emergency evacuation plans for the improved Suhua Highway.

Voice of Lee Ko-tsung
Consumers’ Foundation
The number of lanes on the improved Suhua Highway is very limited. If they end up letting motorcycles use the hard shoulder on weekdays and tour buses use it on weekends, they will have to figure out a way to let emergency vehicles circulate in case an accident happens. They need to consider this.

The proposals all have different safety and traffic volume considerations. Some experts suggest that different kinds of vehicles could be allowed to circulate on the shoulder during the week and during weekends. The Directorate General of Highways says that, if everything goes smoothly, about 200 white number plate bikes could use the highway every day.

蘇花改擬放行白牌機車 公路總局提4試辦方案

2022-07-28

大型重機騎上蘇花改,去年9月開始試辦,近期可望正式開放。公路總局下一步,研擬放行白牌機車,提出四項試辦方案、提報審查,方案包括白牌機車可跟轎車一起行駛快車道,或只限定行駛路肩;方案三和四則是把路肩取消、更改規劃,變成機慢車道或完整兩車道,但何時上路,還得等交通部點頭核定。

大型重機騎上蘇花改,去年9月開始試辦,半年檢核期已經結束,近期可望正式開放。公路總局下一步,將研擬放行白牌機車,已訂出四項試辦方案、提報審查,就等交通部點頭核定。

[[公路總局交通管理組副組長 姜宇峰]]
“那可能是會再開會,或者說就找其中一個方案來執行,所有的方案基本上都是會用安全做為最高的考量”

四項試辦方案包括,白牌機車可跟轎車一起行駛快車道,路肩保留緊急救護使用;或是只限定行駛路肩,同時保持救護通行彈性;方案三和四則是把路肩取消、更改規劃,變成機慢車道或完整兩車道,但涉及路型改變,實施可行性較低。

[[公路總局交通管理組副組長 姜宇峰]]
“後面這兩個方案,基本上它就是車道配置的改變,所以它影響會比較大,有可能影響到環評,也有可能至少是會影響到蘇花改的緊急救援計畫”

[[聲源:消基會交委會召集人 李克聰]]
“蘇花改它的車道數是非常有限,如果是平日開放機車行駛路肩,然後假日的話,我們就給大客車行駛,看怎麼樣兼顧我們緊急救援車輛,如果在發生事故的時候,它的救援,這個都必須要考慮進來”

評估各項方案,必須考量交通效率和安全隱憂,學者建議,路肩或許可採取,平假日開放不同車種行駛。公路總局則預估,開放白牌機車後,每天大約會有一到兩百輛次、騎上蘇花改。

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