CONTINGENCY Approach:
The ministry is hunting to the significant-velocity rail and bus expert services to facilitate travel when TRA personnel do not demonstrate up for perform on May well 1
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By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to announce a contingency system on Friday to aid the transportation of travelers all through the International Workers’ Working day extended weekend, as a the greater part of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) employees have threatened to just take May possibly 1 off to protest a strategy to corporatize the company.
The legislature’s Transportation Committee is to review and deliberate above a draft statute of Taiwan Railway Corporation on Thursday early morning.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) on Friday satisfied with the associates of the Taiwan Railway Labor Union, who requested the transportation ministry to withdraw the draft statute that it has proposed to the committee, negotiate with the union and submit a new program.
Photograph: CNA
Wang rejected the union’s request, indicating that “the teach to reform the TRA has taken off, and there is no turning back again.” 
“It is our hope that all the security measures can be comprehensively recognized by a in depth structural reform at the railway agency,” Wang instructed reporters on the sidelines of the committee assembly.
“If we post the draft statute after achieving a consensus with the union, that could take yrs. We are unable to hold out that prolonged, as this is about public basic safety. The union has also proposed its edition of the draft act, and we hope to rationally discuss individuals variances and finalize the way of the structural reform,” he said. 
When Wang has pledged to go on communications with union associates, he stated that the ministry has prepared a contingency approach for transportation through the extensive weekend, employing the significant-speed railway services, as perfectly as freeway, highway and town bus methods, with the facts scheduled to be declared on Friday. 
“We now know that far more than 90 p.c of educate motorists will not clearly show up for perform on May possibly 1, but 60 per cent of workers at railway stations will get the job done on that working day,” he mentioned.
About 17,000 vacationers have reserved tickets for trains departing on May possibly 1, Wang claimed, introducing that they can get a comprehensive refund if they terminate their tickets.
The company has nevertheless to estimate the number of travelers who would get practice tickets at stations on the day of vacation or pay back for their fare using EasyCards or electronic tickets.
The substantial-pace rail procedure can transportation 25,000 passengers every day. So far, only about 20,000 persons have booked tickets for teach expert services departing on May well 1, the TRA claimed.
“Residents in Yilan, Hualien and Taitung Counties are currently being punished for the ministry’s inability to solve the conflict with TRA employees,” Chinese Nationalist Occasion (KMT) Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) reported, including that the ministry should really attempt to solve the crisis right before it happens.
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