PREMIER LIN: RAILWAYS ARE CRUCIAL FOR INTERCITY TRANSPORT|談前瞻軌道 林揆:城際運輸扮演重大功能

Premier Lin Chuan inspected Taichung's Chenggong Railway station on July 1. According to Lin, budgets for railway projects account for nearly half of the Forward-Looking Infrastructure Development Program, for, railway is a critical mean and the backbone for inter-city transportation. Premier urges the legislature a quick pass the program in the upcoming extraordinary legislative sessions. Premier Lin Chuan and Minister Ho Chen Tan of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications inspected Chenggong Railway Station in Taichung, one of the railway projects in the forward-looking infrastructure development program. Next week, the Legislative Yuan is to review relevant regulations, and Premier Lin hopes it will be passed swiftly. ==LIN CHUAN Premier== The public may not support every plan, they have doubts. We should examine every single one of them during the budget review session. If there were no legal basis, then there wouldn't be an opportunity for budget allocation. If there is no way to examine all the projects, this may not be reasonable. Many people are surprised that rail projects account for nearly half of the total budget of the forward looking infrastructure development program's total budget of NT$880 billion. They feel that these transport projects may end up with few passengers. ==LIN CHUAN Premier== Facts prove, rail transport is for long-distance transportation. The necessity and vision to build rail transport does exist. Therefore we believe, it is a critical infrastructure project. Rail transport is also an essential backbone for long-distance public transport. So we hope to strengthen railways. Premier Lin stated, it is usual to see speculation about major construction; rail plays a critical role in inter-city transportation and balanced regional development. Premier Lin hopes to obtain more support from the public. TRANSLATED BY: ANTHONY LIN 行政院長林全， 上午到台中成功火車站， 視察前瞻計畫中的軌道建設， 林全表示，前瞻計畫中，軌道建設就佔特別預算比例，將近一半，未來在城際運輸，軌道也將扮演重大功能，對區域均衡發展很重要，不會成為蚊子軌道，而接下來立院就要召開臨時會，他希望盡快通過，取得編列特別預算法源依據。 來到台中成功火車站，行政院長林全和交通部長賀陳旦，專程來視察前瞻計畫中的軌道建設，而立法院臨時會下週，將審查前瞻基礎建設條例，林全希望可以盡快通過。 ==行政院長 林全== 外界也許有些 不是每個認同 也有些質疑 這些質疑 其實應該在 預算審查時候 我們逐案來檢視 但如果沒有法源的話 就沒有編預算機會 所有計畫 就不可能拿來檢視 這也不見得 是理性作法 不過外界質疑，前瞻計畫八年八千八百億預算中，軌道建設就佔了特別預算將近一半比例，會不會之後成為蚊子軌道? ==行政院長 林全== 事實都證明 作一個長程運輸交通工具來看 鐵道的必要性 跟前瞻性 都還是存在的 所以我們認為 這是非常重要的基礎建設 也是長途 公共運輸 需要有的骨幹 所以我們希望把它強化 林全表示，重大建設進行時難免都有疑慮，但是軌道在城際運輸，平衡區域發展都扮演重大功能，是最有前瞻性的建設骨幹，也希望外界可以支持。 林健生 賴世杰 台中報導