TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three sinkholes appeared on Taipei streets over the weekend, with city crews rushing to repair the damaged roads and politicians arguing over issues of road safety in the city.
A sinkhole was reported on Nangang Road in Nangang District on Friday (Aug. 18), and another was reported Saturday (Aug. 19) in Zhongshan District on Minsheng East Rd., reported UDN. Then, a third was reported Sunday (Aug. 20) night on Kunming Rd.in Wanhua District, which marked the fifth sinkhole in 100 days, causing many residents to worry about the safety of roads in Taipei.
A report from LTN indicated that the city budget for road maintenance was increased this year from NT$1.4 billion (US$43.8 million) to NT$2 billion. However, the recent spate of sinkholes has many questioning whether funds have been put to good use.
The first sinkhole appeared in Xinyi District’s Chongde Street on May 13 and was reportedly caused by construction crews working on a nearby building. Then, on July 8, a particularly large sinkhole appeared on Nanjing West Road in Datong District due to a damaged sewer line.
The sinkhole on Nanjing West Rd. appeared on July 9. (Chiang Wan-An photo)
The most recent sinkhole appeared near a construction site in an area that was blocked off from traffic. It was reportedly the result of loosened soil as a result of heavy rain on Sunday afternoon.
The sinkhole on Minsheng East Road was about a meter wide and a meter deep and was the result of a drainage problem. Taipei City Councilor Chen Yi-jun (陳怡君) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was on site and called on the city government to investigate the causes of these sinkholes to prevent the city from becoming a “pedestrian hell.”
The phrase “pedestrian hell” has become a commonly used descriptor by local and international media for Taiwanese cities over the past year due to the excessive number of traffic-related accidents and fatalities that plague the country.
Taipei City Councilor Yan Ruo-fang (顏若芳), also of the DPP, called on the Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's (蔣萬安) administration to promptly survey the city streets and reinforce high-risk areas.
In response to the concerns and criticisms related to the sinkholes, Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) made a Facebook post on Sunday (Aug. 20) which declared that extreme climate conditions caused by the greenhouse effect are responsible for Taipei’s sinkholes. The deputy mayor asserted that in extreme climate conditions, city government projects cannot “overcome instantaneous disasters.”
