Taichung Metro Blue Line faces criticism over budget, publicity stunts

Plans for the Taichung Metro Blue Line's first elevated civil engineering section have sparked controversy, with critics accusing the city government of prioritizing showmanship over substance. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for August 12, but a public health walk and lottery event organized by the Metro Bureau on August 9 has drawn sharp criticism.

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The city government only knows how to put on a show and focus on publicity.

City Councilor Wang Li-jen lambasted the administration, stating that the Blue Line's budget has ballooned nearly threefold during Mayor Lu Shiow-yen's eight-year tenure. He argued that the city government focuses on superficial publicity and promotional activities rather than ensuring the quality and progress of the engineering work. Wang pointed out that the mechanical and electrical bid was awarded last year to generate buzz about the groundbreaking, while the civil engineering bid faced multiple failed attempts before being finalized.

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Mayor Lu's eight years of railway construction have achieved almost nothing.

Fellow councilor Yang Tien-chung echoed these sentiments, criticizing Mayor Lu's eight years of railway construction as largely unproductive. He likened the situation to past scandals where only the presentation mattered, not the substance. Yang expressed hope that the next mayor would pragmatically advance construction in the coastal areas.

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The Metro Bureau pointed out that holding a health walk before the groundbreaking ceremony allows citizens to witness the construction entering a new milestone.

The Metro Bureau defended the pre-construction health walk as an opportunity for citizens to witness a new milestone. They explained that rising construction and labor costs are pressuring metro projects nationwide, citing an example of the Kaohsiung Metro Yellow Line's budget increase. The bureau stated that detailed designs for the Blue Line are nearing completion, and they are recalculating costs based on the latest designs and market prices. They plan to seek central government subsidies to meet the target completion date of 2034.

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Due to rising construction and labor costs, metro projects nationwide are generally facing budget adjustment pressures.