ROAD SAFETY/Former lawmakers call on gov't to ensure school road safety for children

Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) Former opposition lawmakers are urging the government to roll out proper regulations to ensure school road safety for children, citing the lack of sidewalks and the prevalence of children riding on parents' scooters without suitable helmets or safety seats.

As of last December, a total of 14.54 million motorcycles were being used in Taiwan, showing that many people use it as a way to get around in daily life, according to Ministry of Transportation and Communications data.

However, former opposition New Power Party Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) told CNA that compared to automobiles and bicycles, there are not enough regulations regarding safety seats on motorcycles and children wearing helmets.

Wang said officials cannot ignore the fact that it is dangerous for parents to ride to school with children on a scooter and that the government should set up regulations requiring parents to install a safety seat and to ensure the child wears a helmet.

Wang went on to say that she understands Taiwan does not have enough public transportation, resulting in parents having to use scooters to take their children to school. However, she said the government should take responsibility by developing national standards for parents to follow.

Meanwhile, former opposition Kuomintang Legislator Yu Yu-lan (游毓蘭) said it's more common to see parents and children riding scooters in rural areas than in cities, adding that many do not operate them properly.

For example, Yu said, it is not easy to find a proper child's helmet, resulting in many not wearing them, which could lead to more serious injuries if an accident were to occur.

According to Yu, in addition to developing more convenient public transportation facilities to reduce motorcycle reliance, the government should also improve road safety around schools.

Yu added that many elementary school students are forced to walk on roads because there is no suitable sidewalk.

The former legislator said she has been asking the government to make laws requiring there to be sidewalks along roads, however, the transportation ministry and the Ministry of the Interior have not been willing to because they are worried about upsetting shop owners and losing votes.

Yu said the government should encourage elementary school students to walk to school by developing a safe and friendly environment while encouraging junior high school students to ride a bike or walk to school by creating convenient bicycle paths.