Is that (my memory is fading, too many instances of bad driving here) the Taichung case?
Guy
Xindien
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Korean girl streaming herself walking around Taiwan has once again almost gotten run down by many vehicles as no one yields to her and even a car honking at her as she tries to cross the street. Seems like she has her own thread now but I’ll post this here since it’s a pedestrian thing and shows the world crossing the street in Taiwan.
Link to clip:
-Twitch
Even on the high mountain roads of Wuling a driver is recorded not yielding to pedestrians.
A green paint “sidewalk” is full of illegally parked vehicles as people are somehow confused thinking it is still a parking spot as the white lines from the parking spot were painted over leaving only a small part of the white lanes left. Because of the “time difference” between implementation of the sidewalk and removal of the white lanes that’s why there are both still there. This has led many to criticize the basic planning/scheduling.
In Nantou scooter riders fail to yield for a young girl crossing the street. Seems like the senseless death of a young girl in their city has left no impression on many people.
A Youtuber compares Singapore and Taiwan. All in Chinese but just by looking at it the differences are pretty obvious. Maybe a good comparison since many in Taiwan often state Taiwan is a small country, high population density, hot (tinted windows argument).
Bus tries to overtake a vehicle by crossing over a double yellow and driving in the oncoming traffic lane.
Another driver drives right into a road divider.
TPP party member is mocked online by many large YouTubers for his comments stating that the pedestrian island is the worse safety infrastructure he has ever seen. Sharing this one since it’s in video format, other larger YouTubers with over 1 million followers have made posts online.
Report about Taichung’s garbage crosswalks. How to get from crosswalk to the curb or vice versa, obstructions, etc.
Even if you have sidewalks they are not well maintained in some areas, they are very bumpy or even have holes in them.
YouTuber shows sidewalks in Taoyuan. Also shows area that was originally going to have a sidewalk until all the local businesses complained it would effect their business so halfway through they cancelled the project. In Chinese but just by looking you can get the picture.
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That would be great. Would make the traditional market a lot more pleasant. No more grandpa/grandma driving up to every stall every few meters and stopping and puffing the nasty exhaust from their scooter all over the fruits and vegetables whilst avoiding all the cars driving through.
I wish they would just have the traditional markets in wide open areas…back home farmer’s markets are usually done in wide open parking lots…granted the scale was a lot smaller in my home town, but I wonder if that’s something that could be done in Taiwan.
In Taichung nearby the Shuinan area/market there is a huge parking lot that is always empty. I only see maybe 1 or 2 vehicles in it. Been like this for years.
2023:
2018:
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Is there a way to suggest it to those who are protesting for better pedestrian safety? I think vehicles should be banned from all markets during their main operating hours.
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I’ve noticed them stopping for me a lot recently. Put those speed bups in and Bob’s your uncle.
I don’t think I’ve ever noticed speed bumps in Taiwan…day to day going around Taichung I can’t seem to recall any places that have speed bumps. Given local politicians and the overall terrible drivers I would imagine any implementation of a speed bump would send the drivers into a fury and blame the govt. for damaging their cars/scooters or local politicians would take this as a chance to fight for the people and call it “dangerous” or “unsafe”.
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Let me guess, left turn?
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Large Taiwanese youtuber (500k+ subscribers) has video comparing Japan and Taiwan. Video has youtube Chinese subtitles so you can use the auto-translate feature for English subtitles. I find it interesting how one of the points he makes is that in Japan a stop sign means you must come to a complete/full stop, but in Taiwan most drivers will just roll through. Something as simple as that is already a major hurdle.
For the sake of convenience video of him driving in Japan is flipped so it matches with the right side driving of Taiwan.
If I remember correctly I think this YouTuber and some other big Taiwanese youtubers recently met up and discussed some of the transportation/pedestrian issues recently.
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In the US cops likes to camp around stop signs, and ticket anyone who just slows down and rolls through.
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A sidewalk widening project in Hsinchu near East Gate was cancelled for one spot after a meeting with lizhang, local businesses, etc. So now the space has just been left as a bunch of white lines indicating that neither pedestrians nor vehicles can use it. So how to deal with the issue of this space being left empty? It will be left to the police to enforce the law and deal with cars illegally parked there.
This decision was made after considering the narrow road and high traffic flow…but they still left the space unusable…so why not just make it a sidewalk at that point.
Last picture the cars have permit to park.
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Across the street from my old cram school were remnants of one. This was right off of Ren Ai and Hangzou roads in Taipei. I’m not sure if someone dismantled it or it just came apart and was then pushed to the side.These are side streets and cars/scooters are always flying down them without slowing down for pedestrians. It was really shocking and amazing how virtually no one would stop for groups of kids trying to cross. On numerous occasions I stopped cars and pointed out the kids. People would just smile and wave. One time some guy just blew right by us and then parked his car down the street while yapping on his phone. I was furious, ran up to him and pointed out to him that what he had done was very dangerous. He didn’t give a shit.
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Is there a way to suggest it to those who are protesting for better pedestrian safety? I think vehicles should be banned from all markets during their main operating hours.
The reality is that more people will protest against this change, not for it.
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I don’t know about this.
Vast majority of people at night markets aren’t driving scooters in it, it’s a minority of idiots doing it. I’m sure the silent majority would have preferred it if there are no scooters allowed in it.
I just think for a long time Taiwanese are far too passive, and refuse to take action to effect change. We’re not under martial law anymore.
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UDN video report/story (in Chinese) on pedestrian hell.
First part is about the surviving Iraqi father whose wife and child were killed by a bus when crossing the street in Taichung.
Nothing has changed at that intersection since.
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I thought about this a few years ago. It would be such a great addition to help with the traffic situation. However, on reflection I think I know why they aren’t used here. Your post reminds me of a case in the news where a scooter driver died after hitting a small pot hole in the road. The family sued the government and won. I would guess riders falling off after hitting speed bumps would cause a huge amount of litigation.
Just violently waved my umbrella at a driver who clearly did not slow down when approaching me while l was crossing a street on a zebra crossing with traffic lights forcing me to hurry and worry about getting hit. l could have hit the car easily and my umbrella is not three meters long, so…
Very much an attitude problem.
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Is there a lot of litigation about cable posts? Because there are thousands of them almost on the middle of the road, everywhere in Taiwan.
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If the “just” is literal, they probably didn’t even see you. Tinted windows, night, rain, A-pillars…
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