Taichung:Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayoral candidate Ho Hsin-chun and her Kuomintang (KMT) rival Johnny Chiang have been actively visiting transport project sites in Taichung as part of their campaign efforts. On Monday, Ho inspected a newly opened bus transit center, while Chiang evaluated a proposed road extension project.
According to Focus Taiwan, Ho, accompanied by several DPP city councilors, visited the Shuinan Transit Center, which began operations in August. She criticized the current city administration, led by the KMT, for what she described as poor design and underutilization of the facility. Despite the NT$4.7 billion (US$147 million) investment in the complex, Ho noted that only a limited number of buses currently operate there. She urged the city government to enhance the bus network promptly.
In response to these criticisms, the Taichung City Transportation Bureau stated their intention to collaborate with bus operators to introduce more routes and offer improved transfer services for the residents.
Meanwhile, KMT candidate Chiang, along with several party councilors and lawmakers, visited the site proposed for the extension of the Xitun District No. 5 connecting road, commonly referred to as "Special Route No. 5." This project aims to reduce traffic congestion around the Central Taiwan Science Park. Chiang highlighted the estimated NT$4.1 billion cost of the project and called on the central government to share the financial responsibility, rather than leaving it solely to the local government.
The local elections in Taiwan, scheduled for November 28, are known as the "9-in-1" elections. Voters will elect officials for nine different types of local government positions, including city mayors and county magistrates, with a total of 11,051 officials to be chosen across the nation.