Superficial "Forward-Looking" versus Leader Busy Attending Funeral Services
The Storm Media, April 8, 2021
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) saw its most disastrous accident in half a century. The so-called “Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program” of NT$880 billion (about US$31 billion) for eight years by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen listed NT$98.4 billion (about US$3.4 billion) under railway construction, but there is no money delegated to railway safety maintenance, and the railway in eastern Taiwan was only allocated a very small budget, leading to a tragedy of 50 casualties. Why was there no safety fence between the working site and railway? How can the “Forward-looking Program” be called “forward-looking?”
On the official website of the Executive Yuan’s Forward-looking Program, “railway construction” is listed as the fourth item in the eight major constructions with NT$16.6 billion for first phase (2017-2018), NT$41.6 billion (about US$1.4 billion) for the second phase (2019-2020) and NT$40.2 billion (about US$1.4 billion) for the third phase (2021-), totaled NT$98.4 billion (about US$3.4 billion); according to the five major thematic promotion of 38 items of railway construction namely:” Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways Train-Linking Network,” “Upgrading TRA and improving eastern Taiwan service,” “ railway dimensioning or commuting improvement,” “urban mass rapid transit promotion” and “sightseeing railways for central and southern Taiwan,” huge sums of money was spent, but the most fundamental component of railway safety was neglected.
Budgets allocated to Hualien and Taitung were only two items, one was electrification of Hualien-Taitung double rail for NT$27.6 billion (about US$970 million), the other was railway electrification of southern railway for Chaochou section for NT$41 billion (about US$1.4 billion), listed under “upgrading TRA and improvement of eastern Taiwan service.” Compared with abundant resources provided to other areas, the portion allocated to Hualien and Taitung was small and meager.
As a matter of fact, the engineering vehicle caused the accident and fell onto the railway allowing only three seconds for the driver of the Taroko train which just came out from one tunnel and ready to enter Qingshui tunnel to make emergent reaction by pressing the brake. On such a thrilling road section, why there was no safety fence between the work site and the railway? Why TRA didn’t set up any early warning system?
In contrast, the TRA set up tight “natural disaster early warning system” for earthquake, storm, torrential rainfall, falling rocks and landslide allowing train driver to make speedy emergency reaction through auto-control system to send message timely to the driver and control center. Each year, the trains transport over two hundred million passengers which were much higher than 60 million passengers by Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR). However, the Tsai administration put the work forces and resources to the THSR was far more than that to the TRA.
After the 2018 Puyuma train overturn accident, the Tsai administration proposed an “overall inspection report” which included setting up “slope intellectual monitor system” to monitor vulnerable slopes for all invading foreign objects. According to the evaluation of the TRA, there were 25 sites needed to install slope early warning system with total budget of NT$275 million (about US$9.6 million), with NT$10 million (about US$350,000) for each site. As of yet, not a single system was completed. 10 sites would be completed by the end of this year. Another 15 sites would be completed by the end of next year, two years behind the schedule. The proclamation of project plans of the Tsai administration is always a red tape, years behind schedule to carry out.
There was no conception of risk management in the whole slope remediation project of the TRA. Project sites by the slopes should have risk evaluation such as setting up safety fence and monitoring system to monitor engineering vehicles flowing, falling rocks, invading foreign objects adapting to local conditions. Apart from the construction companies and supervising units, the TRA should also be accountable for the Taroko train accident. But the setting up of the whole risk evaluation and management system was closely related to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (MOTC) and the Executive Yuan. The Executive Yuan disregarded traffic safety and preferred to spending hundreds of billions of dollars in transportation construction while only NT$300 million (about US$10.5 million) in traffic safety, safety management was just a mere formality.
There were tens of TRA derail accidents between 2012 and 2019. When the Puyuma train overturn accident occurred, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung was appointed to assume the post as minister of communication and transportation and he proposed a few prescriptions for reform which all became castle in the air.
Loose management and human negligence were constant for the TRA. Even hiding the broken rail incidents were no surprise. The oath of overhaul reform by Minister Lin was only lip service. Minister Lin was also accountable for the post of the TRA director vacant for three months. Apart from the construction company and supervising unit, the TRA, the MOTC should also all hold accountable in this accident case.
The Tsai administration is specialized at packaging propaganda such as “Forward-looking Program,” “revitalization triple coupon” and the well-known “TRA bento box.” The Forward-looking Program of the Tsai administration was nothing but glittering appearance without profound forward-looking or long-term plan. Hundreds of billions of dollars in budget for railway construction yet without any for strengthening the safety system for the railway in eastern Taiwan. Neither was there any budget for replacing the ejection seats for F-5E fighter jets. Because the Forward-looking Program is without foresight, no wonder it has been criticized as “fortune-seeking” plan. People who do not think for the future will find troubles at doorstep. For the constant breakout of calamities as the TRA and fighter jets, President Tsai owes the people an explanation.