Xiaoliuqiu to get its 1st traffic light

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Xiaoliuqiu island, a popular vacation destination off the coast of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, will get its first traffic light in August, the county government said Tuesday.

The traffic light will be installed in accordance with a National Bureau of Land Management plan to improve road safety around school campuses, Chen Pin-chen (陳品蓁), an official in the Pingtung County Police Bureau's traffic division, said in a call with reporters.

The light will be located at the intersection of Fuxing and Xiangpu roads near Cyuande Elementary School, where there is a high volume of traffic due to economic and tourism-related activities, Chen said.

The police department said it expected to do a final check on the traffic light in July and to begin using it sometime in August.

Views about the traffic light's installation were mixed on the island, which is visited by more than 1 million tourists each year despite having only 12,000 permanent residents.

In a Facebook group titled "Xiaoliuqiu Alliance," some commenters welcomed the addition, saying it would make the area safer for people and animals.

Another user, however, said one traffic light would eventually lead to the installation of more, and would eventually "urbanize" the island and destroy its rustic charm.