Is traffic the worst part of Taiwan's lingering third worldism?

[Membrillo]

One of the many great designs in Taiwan is that many times you don’t really know what are the signals the other vehicles have. Vertical signalling is almost non-existant. If you are aproaching that intersection from any given point, you probably don’t know if the other vehicles have a 停 a 慢 or a 越快越好. There are intersections where everybody has a 停, others where everything is 慢. Sometimes it is a mix and not always the bigger road has the higher level of priority.

It’s just better to treat all intersections as non-signalled, proceed with caution and use common sense (meaning proceeding as if everyone else has no common sense).

[slawa]

@Membrillo

Vertical signalling is almost non-existant. If you are aproaching that intersection from any given point, you probably don’t know if the other vehicles have a 停 a 慢 or a 越快越好.

Writing on the road can be difficult to read. Near us there is a intersection where they redesigned the road markings completely. They simply painted the old ones with black paint. At night during rain all markings, new and old, look the same when lights reflects from them. You can’t tell which one is old and which one is new.

[Membrillo]

Also every road having the same perpendicular white line doesn’t give any clue. Usually in better thought places a solid line means stop (there should be a vertical stop sign too) while a dashed line means yield (there’s usually a vertical yield sing too). Here 停, 慢 and I presume the uncommon 讓 all have the same solid white line marking.

[hannes]

@Membrillo

It’s just better to treat all intersections as non-signalled, proceed with caution and use common sense (meaning proceeding as if everyone else has no common sense).

Bigger and meaner first, basically.

Would be better to scrap all the markings on the ground and replace it with road signs. Of course in Taiwan’s typical urban environment, those signs get blocked quite often.

Or EDUCATE the people about the “right goes first” rule. I doubt ANYONE on the road here is aware of that fundamental and easy to follow rule.

[wanderingupon]

I just pretend I am a wild animal (maybe I am?) and cross wherever it feels safest which means avoiding the unpredictability and chaos of intersections.

[hannes]

But don’t turn into “wanderinguponbus”…

[CaptainRedHair]

@lunlan

Pedestrian almost hit by a cement truck. Traffic is stopping for a red light and a cement truck rear ends the stopped vehicles and veers off the road, barely missing a pedestrian on the sidewalk.

I passed by after that crash happened, was wondering what happened to cause the cement truck to veer off the road like that. Luckily no-one died.

There are an insane amount of cement truck on the roads there.

[RandomName]

@Gmu

Outrageous mom posts 3 photos of herself riding a bike with one hand while using her phone! Two kids not wearing helmets spark outrage online

On the weekend I saw 2 adults and 2 children on a scooter, adults had helmets, kids did not.

[TT]

I hope those kids had masks at least!

[qwert_zuiop]

@RandomName

Would anyone know if you can register a scooter whilst only holding an international driving permit? And an arc…

Not 100% sure, but to register, you only need an ARC - no driver license.

Of course, if you want to drive, you also need a license. Be aware, though, that IDPs have a limited validity term, especially for residents, and need to registered:

https://www.mvdis.gov.tw/m3-emv-eng/public_en/about_02_06_02En

Drivers who hold valid international driving permit (IDP) issues by our reciprocal countries (or region) and will stay in our country for less than 30 days can drive in Taiwan without registering an international driving permit (IDP). Drivers who are going to stay in Taiwan for more than 30 days should apply to register an international driving permit (IDP) from highway supervision authority (Motor Vehicle Offices).

[RandomName]

I might look at getting a local licence sooner rather than later.

[TT]

@RandomName

Would anyone know if you can register a scooter whilst only holding an international driving permit? And an arc…

You can buy a scooter with an ARC, but can’t indefinitely ride on an IDP

[RandomName]

What if I leave within 30 days each stay? But I would be worried about insurance not paying if I skirt the rules on idp… I’ll get a local licence.

[lunlan]

@lunlan

Still though many people in Taiwan strongly believe that sidewalks hurt business…

I should add on to this and say that many people believe sidewalks are dangerous or can’t understand a sidewalk being wider than the road (one lane per side).

Over in ErLin, Changhua on a local Facebook group many people are criticizing a new physical sidewalk.

[Link to post]

CoPilot translation of the poster’s comment and some other people’s comments:

Ma Xiao-ou This intersection is really unsafe for driving. Don’t the township head, councilors, or representatives of Erlin care at all?

Yue Quanshanfeng – Uncle Igarashi It was designed by some brainless designer… and he doesn’t even live in Erlin.

Huang Jin-quan There are many people in Erlin! Fewer cars! Is the sidewalk still too small!? It should be changed to a one-way street! The other direction should go to the outer ring road… make a loop! To prepare for Zhongke / the future Erlin City, population could reach a million! (Today I haven’t taken my psychiatric medication yet) Please forgive me, I’m really sorry!

Hong Ying-zhou Ask the media to report it, maybe that will be more useful than just cursing on Facebook!

Mark Hong We already cursed about it before, and gave feedback. They insisted on finishing it. Only after it’s completed and proves unsuitable will they discuss again.

Ma Xiao-ou They reduced the left and right turn lanes, which only increases travel time. It’s nothing like what the Erlin Construction Section Chief said about making traffic more convenient!

For me, who has to walk this road several times a day, every time I see cars and scooters side by side I break out in a cold sweat

S Ir This intersection originally had dedicated left and right turn lanes, convenient and safe. But to build sidewalks they drastically changed the lanes. Most of it is “improved,” but it only creates more inconvenience for road users. The traffic lights don’t even have dedicated left/right turn signals, making it even more dangerous. How can this design change be more convenient?

Lin Ru-jun It was fine originally. Cars flowed smoothly. Now it’s changed like this, cars are jammed. Cars turning have to make huge turns. And the Taiwan Sugar gas station too—how can big vehicles get in to refuel? Speechless

Shi Hong-hui One night when I passed by, my body’s memory almost drove me up onto it

Chen Cai-yu Terrible design, wasting taxpayers’ money and disturbing people. It should be changed back to the original situation.

Chen Zhuo-yan I later realized that when the curve radius is too wide, cars go faster. Making the curve angle closer to 90 degrees can effectively reduce turning speed. All of this is for pedestrian safety.

Scottie YA LE This road section didn’t used to jam, now it can’t help but jam!

Zhuang Shu-yun The Erlin township mayor should be replaced. What kind of brain comes up with such a sick design?

Lin Qing-xi The world’s most “amazing” designer—damn, really amazing—can design a road like this. I’m truly speechless!

Ye Da-fang Brain-dead design, like some kind of “Evil Spirit’s Light.”

Huang Shi-xiong The route is really awful—ugly, hard to drive, and hard to walk.

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Meanwhile Douliu shares before and after pictures of sidewalk renovation projects that have widened sidewalks and use parking bay designs for roadside parking on MingDe N. Rd. 3rd section

[Gmu]

While in Taiwán ?

1.4M views · 34K reactions | #OnThisDay 1951: Newsreel took a look at some of...

[qwert_zuiop]

@RandomName

What if I leave within 30 days each stay? But I would be worried about insurance not paying if I skirt the rules on idp… I’ll get a local licence.

The safest way of using an IDP in Taiwan is getting it verified / stamped at the Motor Vehicle Office.

The paper they add will state exactly how long it’s valid in Taiwan and will be stamped by the MVO - with that paper inside, I personally wouldn’t worry about an insurance suddenly claiming you don’t have a valid license. You basically have confirmation on your IDP from the Taiwanese authorities stating that your IDP is valid in Taiwan.

Some people have reported being able to get a new verification after exiting Taiwan and reentering - but this doesn’t always seem to work… (especially if one holds an A(P)RC).

[RandomName]

@qwert_zuiop

Some people have reported being able to get a new verification after exiting Taiwan and reentering - but this doesn’t always seem to work… (especially if one holds an A(P)RC).

I’ve had an ARC for a couple of years now.

[qwert_zuiop]

@RandomName

I’ve had an ARC for a couple of years now.

Yeah, just try to get the paper at the MVO. The worst that can happen is that they say “No”. If successful, you can drive on the IDP completely legal for up to one year after your last entry to Taiwan.

[hannes]

They really want to turn it into a place where you want to linger (逗留).

Let’s all douliu in Douliu.