Jim Yang
The Portuguese crowned the “beautiful island” they discovered, Formosa.
Now known as Taiwan, it screams otherwise.
Renowned for its hospitality, cuisines, and natural landscapes, the Western Pacific country seems like the ideal place to live.
Only that it’s not.
Motorbikes.
Leeched onto the island like parasites, these two-wheeled vehicles are ingrained in Taiwanese society. And the people cannot get enough of them. As a fellow citizen, I’ve grown used to navigating through scooter-packed pedestrian lanes and keeping an eye on the back of my head while crossing the street. What I will never grow used to are the mounting death tolls of motorcyclists and the pungent emissions that permeate the nation.
If you’ve ever watched Taiwanese news channels, you’d know they report on only two things: politics and traffic accidents. The latter appears to be the country’s priority concern– and it should be. Taiwan’s traffic-related deaths are about four times that of benchmark countries Japan and Denmark in 2020. Two-thirds of those fatalities were involved in motorcycles.
Why is riding a scooter so fatal then? Intuitively speaking, motorbikes simply offer less protection. In a car, the metal frame, seat belts, and airbags act as protective layers in case of collision. On a motorcycle, the rider’s body is completely exposed. Not to say riders often weave around vehicles to avoid traffic, putting themselves in drivers’ blindspots and exponentially increasing the chances of accidents.
Precarious on-road riding is not the sole concern.
Pollution comes hand-in-hand with scooters. In “The Kingdom of Motorcycles,” 15 million scooters roam the streets and alleys. To put this into perspective, there are 96.3 scooters for every 100 citizens. This means almost every Taiwanese owns a motorbike. As a result, these two-wheeled vehicles account for 4.3% of the PM2.5 levels within the country.
An ominous pall of pollution drapes over the island.
No one sees it.
No one cares.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that results in long-term breathing problems and poor airflow. It is one of the leading causes of death globally and 6.1% of cases prevail in Taiwan. Taiwanese comprise merely 0.28% of the global population. How come we score such high numbers in terms of lung disease diagnosis? It is no coincidence. Studies show that PM2.5 and environmental pollution play a pivotal role. Hence, non-smokers, the majority of Taiwanese, are nevertheless susceptible to COPD.
Fatalities and carbon emissions do not magically vanish with a flick of a wand.
Things have to be done.
The Taiwanese government made meager efforts to curb the scooter crisis in its country. By cooperating with EV producers like Gogoro and providing subsidies for electric scooter purchases, officials give big speeches about a net-zero Taiwan. “An outright lie” would be an understatement for this groundless promise. The cheapest Gogoro electric motorbike would set you back 50,000 NTD– double the price of a decent petrol-fueled scooter with similar functionalities. The government’s 7,000 NTD subsidy for electric scooters suddenly feels like a poor tradeoff to buyers. Those who already own a gas-fueled scooter go on with their lives; those in need of one would not opt-in to purchasing EVs. Quite frankly, there is a “net zero” change. In truth, the government’s “soft stance” is a deliberate attempt to appease environmentalists and avoid public backlash by refraining from imposing strict policies on gas-powered motorcycles.
When solving problems, one should dig at the roots rather than hacking at the leaves. The Taiwanese government lingers on surface-level issues without asking themselves the big question: Why are motorbikes so adored in Taiwan? Convenience and affordability are key. Scooters take less space than automobiles; hence, parking spaces for motorbikes are drawn in rows along streets on a massive scale. Now, it has become so normalized that Taiwanese park their scooters quite literally everywhere, legal or not. People are disincentivized to take public transit with limited stations and time constraints when their scooters take them places. All these benefits are accessible at the mere cost of 10,000 NTD.
The government should prioritize two key actions: promoting alternative modes of transportation and discouraging scooter use among the public. Insofar as we make public transit more accessible and reasonably priced, we are able to cater to the core values of Taiwanese people: convenience and cost-effectiveness. This involves dedicating more spending to developing MRT routes or setting up more bus stations. On the contrary, it is imperative that we actively cut down on the number of scooters simultaneously. Limiting parking spaces and raising the bar to purchase a motorbike are among the many approaches to achieve this effect.
Exterminating scooters in “The Kingdom of Motorcycles” is an uphill battle. But when have we Taiwanese ever shied away from adversities? From overthrowing tyrannical dictators to being the first ever country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, Taiwan has hurdled challenges once deemed impossible.
Now is the time we deal with the longstanding problem with scooters.
Only then, would Formosa regain its beauty.
