FERRY SERVICES MOBILISED FOR STRANDED MOTORISTS|首啟海上備援機制 今增開蘇澳-花蓮船班

The Suhua Highway was closed due to multiple rockslides, causing large numbers of travelers to be stranded in Hualien. On May 30, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications initiated the maritime rescue operation for the first time, with 3 ships departing from Hualien to Suao Port to carry people and cars trapped in Hualien. Because each ship was filled with passengers, the ferry Natchan Rera will help transport people between Suao and Hualien on May 31. However, unsatisfied with traffic disruption, Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi strongly criticized the central government again. On the last day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Hualien Port was full of people and vehicles waiting for boarding the ships. Suhua Highway was closed due to multiple rockslides, so the MOTC urgently launched the maritime rescue operation. On May 30, 3 ships departed from Hualien to Suao at 12 pm, 4 pm and 5:30 pm respectively, carrying people and vehicles trapped in Hualien. ==CHI WEN-JONG Deputy Minister, MOTC== Natchan Rera may carry 774 persons and about 360 cars. Besides, Ho Fu Express may carry about 440 persons and 30 cars. The MOTC said it will send shuttle buses to carry people back to Taipei after they disembarked at Suao Port. On May 31, Natchan Rera will depart from Suao to Hualien at 8:30 am and then depart from Hualien to Suao at 12 pm. DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim said the government launched the maritime rescue operation for the first time, hoping the public can understand the government's efforts in solving problems. ==HSIAO BI-KHIM DPP Legislator== We prefer adopting ship transport to send those people who have cars trapped in Hualien to safely reach the north as soon as possible. On the morning of May 30, Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi came to Hualien Port to see how the transport was going and he heavily criticized the central government, saying that neither the president nor the MOTC minister showed their concern for Hualien, and he questioned when the second-phase Suhua Highway Alternative Project would begin. ==FU KUN-CHI Hualien County Magistrate== Both President Tsai Ing-wen and the unworldly minister Ho Chen Tan didn't come to Hualien today. Do you take it for granted that people living in Hualien and Taitung have to suffer from road closure, which constantly happens again and again? Will the second-phase Suhua Alternative Project begin or what? Fu Kun-chi said, without any typhoon, Suhua Highway was closed again with only two days of rainfall, which caused Hualien an isolated place. The government said it will allocate NT$880 billion for the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, but people in Hualien didn't even have basic infrastructure. He asked President Tsai to honor her election promises to the people in Hualien. TRANSLATED BY：BRYANT CHANG 蘇花公路落石坍方中斷，造成大批遊客受困花蓮，交通部首次啟動海上備援機制，今天一整天有三個船班從花蓮港開往蘇澳港，載送受困在花蓮的人車，因為搭乘踴躍班班客滿，因此明天也將增開麗娜輪、往返蘇澳及花蓮。不過不滿公路交通又中斷，花蓮縣長傅崐萁再次砲轟中央。 端午節連假最後一天，花蓮港擠滿等著搭船的民眾和車輛，蘇花公路因為落石中斷，交通部緊急啟動海運救援，30日中午12點、下午4點、傍晚5點30分、一整天總共有3個船班從花蓮港開往蘇澳港，載送受困在花蓮的人車。 ==交通部次長 祁文中== 麗娜輪她大概可以載客774人 小車將近有360幾輛 還有另外一艘合富輪 她大概載客可以440幾個 載車大概是30輛 交通部表示，民眾下船到蘇澳港後，也會派接駁車，將民眾送回台北，明天也將增開麗娜輪，上午8:30從蘇澳開往花蓮，中午12:00再從花蓮開往蘇澳。民進黨立委蕭美琴表示，首次啟動海上備援機制，希望民眾能理解政府有努力在解決問題。 ==民進黨立委 蕭美琴== 有車子而困在花蓮的人 我們是優先用這樣一個船運方式 讓大家可以儘早安全地來北上 而花蓮縣長傅崐萁上午也到花蓮港了解疏運情況，並且砲轟中央，表示未見總統及交通部長來花蓮關心，並質問，蘇花改二期工程到底何時要做? ==花蓮縣長 傅崐萁== 蔡英文和我們的 不食人間火的賀陳旦部長 今天你們兩位都沒有到花蓮 花東人民受到路斷 是理所當然的嗎 是家常便飯 今天到底蘇花改二期要不要做 傅崐萁表示，沒有颱風，只有下了兩天雨，蘇花公路就再次中斷，造成孤島效應，政府說要花投入8800億做前瞻建設，但花蓮人連基礎建設都沒有，要求總統蔡英文兌現選舉時對花蓮人的承諾。 綜合報導