The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) must go all-out to encourage the use of public transportation to visit the 2014 Taiwan Lantern Festival, which will take place in Nantou County's Chung-hsing New Village from February 14 to 23, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said at today's Cabinet meeting.
Parking space around the venue is limited, so to prevent the creation of traffic jams by drivers to the event, the MOTC must employ all available methods of communication to urge tourists to take shuttle buses from Taiwan High Speed Rail's Taichung Station or the Taiwan Railways Administration's Xinwuri and Yuanlin stations to the site, the premier explained.
As for the operating frequency of the shuttle buses, Jiang expressed hope that the flow of service can be as smooth as possible to ensure public satisfaction. He also asked the MOTC to plan traffic control and evacuation measures well in advance.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival, which has been held for 25 years, has become a world-renowned event, attracting millions of tourists from home and abroad annually as well as a growing contingent of media, noted the premier. Jiang expressed gratitude to relevant staffers from central and local governments and the private sector for their joint efforts, saying other agencies should take reference from their successful model for hosting the celebration.