TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of pedestrians killed in traffic in Taipei City reached 17 during the first three months of the year, or six more than during the same period in 2022, according to data released by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Friday (May 26).

International media recently described Taiwan as a “living hell” for pedestrians. Since then, the government has raised fines and cracked down on drivers not giving way to pedestrians crossing the street.

Nevertheless, the number of pedestrians killed in traffic rose to 103 from January to March, from 101 during the same period last year, the MOTC said. The total number of traffic casualties reached 812 for the first three months.

After Taipei City, Tainan City showed a year-on-year increase in pedestrian casualties from five to 10, and Keelung City from none to four, the Liberty Times reported. The only places without any fatalities during the three-month period were Hsinchu City and the sparsely populated island counties of Penghu, Kinmen, and Lienchiang.

There was also a marked imbalance between the numbers in Taiwan’s six special municipalities and the rest of the country, the MOTC said. The six cities of Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung recorded 63 pedestrian deaths from January to March, while 40 were reported from other cities and counties.

The central government on Thursday (May 25) unveiled a seven-year plan to raise its spending on improving road conditions in general, including intersections, sidewalks, and crossings, to NT$66.5 billion (US$2.16 billion).