TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Wan An air raid drills scheduled for north Taiwan Monday (July 24) will include a pause in most public transport for half an hour.
Air raid sirens will sound at 1:30 p.m. to announce the start of the exercise. Monday’s event will cover the cities of Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu, and the counties of Hsinchu and Yilan.
While the Taipei and Airport Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains will run as usual, passengers will not be allowed to leave stations, CNA reported. Shops inside MRT station areas and the Taipei Arena will close for 30 minutes.
Buses and taxis will have to stop by the side of the street, with passengers leaving the vehicle and staying inside the nearest shelter. Taxi drivers should stop their meter running for half an hour, and agree in advance with their passengers how to proceed after the drills.
During Wan An, no buses will leave stations, while YouBike cyclists were expected to leave their bicycle by the side of the road. Inter-city buses will continue their journey as long as they stay on freeways, but if they leave, they might be asked to stop and have passengers exit.
The Danhai Light Rail Transit system will not operate for half an hour, with passengers not allowed to stay inside the trains, the New Taipei City Government said. Police will be present to guide travelers to the nearest shelter.
While passengers in the Tamsui District were supposed to leave vehicles, in other parts of New Taipei City they would be allowed to stay inside stationery buses or taxis during the event, the report said.
Keelung City announced a similar arrangement, with only travelers in the Zhongzheng District asked to leave buses and taxis to go inside.
The Taoyuan International Airport Corporation (TIAC) called on air travelers to arrive early for their flight at Taiwan’s main airport, though only departing road traffic, such as buses, taxis, and rental cars, would not be allowed to leave between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.
After north Taiwan, the Wan An 46 drills will take place in south Taiwan on July 25, east Taiwan and the outlying islands on July 26, and central Taiwan on July 27. They will coincide with the July 24-28 Han Kuang 39 military drills, which will involve action on the beaches of Bali in New Taipei City, at Taoyuan International Airport, and at Fengnian Airport in Taitung County.
