Taiwanese Drivers Demand Stricter Penalties for Pedestrians: A Clash Over Road Safety

Driver groups in Taiwan are protesting the Ministry of Transportation's traffic law revisions, advocating for harsher penalties for pedestrians who violate traffic rules.

As the Lai Ching-te administration approaches its first anniversary in office, driver groups in Taiwan are expressing discontent with the Ministry of Transportation's recent legal revisions. These revisions, they argue, disproportionately penalize drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians while neglecting to adequately address pedestrian violations, specifically, "闖紅燈", or running red lights.

The groups have issued a joint statement outlining five key demands. Beyond calling for the Ministry of Transportation to implement "3E engineering"—which encompasses Engineering (road infrastructure), Education, and Enforcement—they specifically request that the penalties for pedestrians who run red lights be increased to NT$18,000. To underscore their concerns, these driver groups have announced plans to stage a protest around the Ministry of Transportation on May 19th.

林福山 (Lin Fu-shan), Director of the Public Transportation and Supervision Department within the Ministry of Transportation, stated that pedestrian safety is a critical issue for the Ministry and the Taiwanese public. He indicated that current reviews primarily focus on incidents where pedestrian injury or fatality has occurred, rather than addressing general pedestrian traffic violations.