In an effort to comprehensively improve pedestrian traffic safety, the Executive Yuan in May 2023 approved a set of traffic safety guidelines prioritizing pedestrian right of way, and on August 17 approved a higher-level set of policy guidelines for pedestrian traffic safety (2023-2027). The policy guidelines lay out a set of major initiatives with short-term (half-year), medium-term (one-year) and long-term (four-year) action items. In addition, on January 1, 2024 the Road Traffic Safety Basic Act came into effect, establishing a national pedestrian traffic safety policy with the aim of achieving 50% fewer pedestrian traffic deaths by 2030—and ultimately attaining the "Vision Zero" goal of zero road traffic deaths—through collaboration between the central government, local governments and the general public.
Three major initiatives
■ Enact the Road Traffic Safety Basic Act: This basic law stipulates that meetings are convened at a central government level to discuss road traffic safety. Chaired by the premier, the meetings review policy planning every four years to refine the systems promoting road safety.
■ Develop a comprehensive system of public transportation: Greater usage of public transportation will be encouraged through measures such as promoting a highway public transportation plan, popularizing accessibility in transportation services, expanding Happiness Bus and Happiness Taxi services in rural areas, and offering bicycle-sharing programs with both bikes and e-bikes, to help travelers cover the last mile to their destinations.
■ Implement improvements to pedestrian traffic safety: This initiative includes administering a plan to sustainably increase pedestrian safety, formulating an act to govern pedestrian-friendly traffic facilities, requiring those who seriously violate traffic laws to periodically renew their driver's license, expanding subsidies for motorcycle driving classes, promoting motorcycle road driving classes, applying heavier traffic fines, and imposing stricter enforcement for key traffic violations. These measures will help protect the safety of pedestrians, especially the disabled, children and elderly.