Taipei Councilor Ends Hunger Strike, Questions Festival and Traffic Safety

Taipei City Councilor Yang Chih-tou, who recently concluded a hunger strike, made his first appearance at the city council, appearing noticeably thinner. His initial questioning focused on the Dihua Street Summer Festival, addressing criticism leveled against Mayor Chiang Wan-an for attending an anti-drug oil protest rather than the festival's opening ceremony.

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Mayor's previous interviews have already clarified this; every year it is the closing ceremony, and this year is no exception.

Yang defended the mayor's priorities, stating that food safety is paramount. He argued that the mayor's decision to attend the protest was a response to urgent civic matters, comparing it to other unexpected civic duties that can arise. He suggested that the mayor's attendance at the festival's closing ceremony, a tradition, should still be expected, and urged the city government to clarify the mayor's stance to alleviate concerns.

Turning to public safety, Yang highlighted issues with traffic management during the Dihua Street fireworks display. He described instances of vehicles illegally stopping on expressways, creating potential hazards and giving the impression of unofficial viewing spots. Yang called for enhanced cross-city and cross-departmental collaboration, involving Taipei and New Taipei City authorities, to improve traffic guidance and enforcement for future events.

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There is a certain value ranking between politics and city affairs.

The Department of Information and Tourism and the traffic police acknowledged the concerns. They pledged to discuss traffic management strategies with relevant departments and New Taipei City for the upcoming fireworks shows. The traffic police also noted that illegal stopping and sudden deceleration on roadways are dangerous driving behaviors that will be subject to penalties under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act.

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We will hold comprehensive discussions with the police bureau, the transportation department, and the New Taipei side.