TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — “Stop killing pedestrians” will be the rallying cry of protesters who plan to march in Taipei on Sunday (Aug. 20) to protest Taiwan’s poor pedestrian safety record.

The march is organized by the Zero Pedestrian Death Promotion Alliance and the minor opposition New Power Party (NPP). It will start at Ketegalan Boulevard at 1 p.m. on Sunday and events will run into the early evening.

Organizers have called on candidates in the upcoming presidential election to publish proposals on the issue. They have also called on the government to halve pedestrian casualties by 2030 and bring the number to zero by 2040, the NPP said in a Facebook post.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lin Yuan-min (林元敏) of the traffic safety alliance said the government should pass a basic traffic safety law as soon as possible to address the high number of deaths on Taiwan’s roads, per CNA. TPP legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) said the government should focus on both road design and educating the public, recommending teaching traffic safety at school.

Pedestrian safety in Taiwan has been dragged into the spotlight over the past year via international media coverage of the issue and several high-profile pedestrian casualties. The issue has already sparked at least one protest, including after a 3-year-old girl died in May after being struck by an SUV while crossing the road with her mother.

In June, Taiwan introduced NT$6,000 fines for drivers who fail to give way to pedestrians (US$193) on zebra crossings and stricter traffic rules (though faced some obstacles implementing them). In May, the government also allocated an extra NT$42 billion over seven years to address road safety issues.

According to Taiwan's transport ministry, 156 pedestrians died in Taiwan in the first six months of this year, out of a total of 1,309 road fatalities. The most dangerous place in Taiwan for road users in the same period was central Taichung, which recorded just under six road deaths per thousand people.