Taipei councilor slams city govt over repeated delays in Xinyi sunshade project

Taipei City Councilor Hung Wan-chen has sharply criticized the Taipei City government under Mayor Chiang Wan-an for the repeated delays plaguing the installation of expensive sunshades in the Xinyi District. The project, initially slated for completion by the end of August, has now seen its deadline pushed back to January next year, marking the second significant delay.

Hung revealed that the project's timeline has been inconsistent. An initial basic design report suggested completion by the end of June, aiming to have the sunshades ready before the summer. Subsequent internal schedules indicated phased completion by late August and October. However, the city government's latest statement places the contractually agreed completion date at January 15 next year, with no clear timeline for other phases.

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This is the problem with the current city government. From the planning of the sunshades, the construction period, to the execution details, everything is contradictory, and all aspects of municipal affairs are stuck and not going smoothly.

The councilor expressed frustration, stating that such delays seem to be becoming routine under the current administration. She pointed out that even after inquiring with department heads in committee meetings, officials provided outdated information about an August completion. Hung accused the city government of "Bao Li Da" (a term implying evasiveness or making excuses) and attempting to let the issue fade from public attention.

Adding to the controversy, Hung highlighted a peculiar incident regarding a sunshade location that faced significant public scrutiny in July. After the "tree replacement for sunshade" issue was exposed, the Public Works Department filled in a previously excavated hole and tree pit with cement. The justification given was that the area would need to be re-excavated for installation. Hung questioned the logic of excavating and then filling the site, only to dig it up again later, describing it as an example of the city government's contradictory planning, scheduling, and execution that is hindering various municipal projects.

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Under Chiang Wan-an's administration, missing deadlines seems to have become the norm.