Mayor Lu Shiow-yen is battling the central government over funding for a new circular railway line.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/01/07
By: Liang Minghao (梁銘浩)

When the new Mayor of Taichung, Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), took office on Dec. 25, 2018, she had the intention to stop the construction of the Greater Taichung Shanshou Line due to a disagreement over central government subsidies for the project.

Does her opposition to the project stem from a lack of long-term vision for her city, or does she have well-intentioned political calculations? Regardless of her motives, opposing the Shanshou Line (山手線) represents a short-sighted, narrow-minded mentality toward the well-being of the people of Taichung.

The Shanshou Line can be considered the centerpiece of the transportation infrastructure projects of previous mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Its main objective: To connect two separate TRA railway lines, the mountain and coastal lines, that lay on opposite sides of Taichung, with a view towards combining them with the Blue and Green lines of the MRT to form a complete urban transportation system encircling the city and including the coastal line into the future development of the Greater Taichung area.

Circular transportation lines are nothing new in foreign countries as they act as stable transportation system operating efficiently with set operation times, allowing for large numbers of commuters to accurately plan their journeys through and around the city.
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