Taoyuan Traffic Tech Enforcement Faces Scrutiny Amid Safety Claims

Taoyuan City is expanding its use of technological enforcement systems to monitor traffic violations, leading to increased installations of cameras across the city. This move has prompted city councilors to question the system's primary objective, with some expressing public sentiment that it is designed to generate revenue rather than enhance road safety.

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The biggest advantage of technological enforcement is that it can enforce continuously for 24 hours and reduce the burden on police officers, but some people complain that the purpose of technological enforcement is not for traffic safety, but for the government to grab money.

Councilors like Peng Chun-hao have noted public complaints that the goal of technological enforcement is perceived as "grabbing money" by the government. Furthermore, a report from the Taoyuan City Audit Office highlighted a significant non-prosecution rate of 28.6% for technological enforcement cases last year, a slight improvement from 46.6% the previous year. The audit office recommended reducing potential risks associated with inconsistent judgment standards.

Police Chief Liao Heng-yu addressed these concerns during a city council session. He explained that the high non-prosecution rate was primarily due to the testing and promotional periods preceding the full implementation of the system. During these phases, the system's accuracy was tested, but citations were not issued, leading to a statistical anomaly. He assured councilors that the system is designed to be removed once accident reduction targets are met.

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This is due to testing during the promotional period when no tickets were issued, which caused the issue of non-prosecuted cases.

Liao Heng-yu also presented data indicating the system's effectiveness. From January to June of the current year, the number of traffic violations cited through technological enforcement decreased by over 5,000 compared to the same period last year, a drop of 2.71%. More significantly, traffic accidents have reduced by 259 cases, resulting in an approximately 8% decrease in accident occurrence rates. He emphasized that these figures demonstrate the positive impact of technological enforcement on Taoyuan's road safety.

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The number of traffic violations cited by technological enforcement has decreased by more than 5,000 cases compared to the same period last year, a decrease of 2.71%. Traffic accidents have also decreased by 259 cases, and the accident occurrence rate has decreased by about 8%.