Freeway Congestion Lasts Record 30 Hours|端午連假湧現車潮 國五塞30小時創紀錄

The longest traffic jam in Taiwan's history happened on the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend. National freeways were severely congested from 10 a.m. on June 24 to after 4 p.m. the next day. The 30-hour traffic jam sparked complaints, with some experts suggesting new methods to disperse traffic.


There was major traffic congestion on the first two days of the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, with congestion on National Freeway 5 lasting a record 30 hours.

Transportation and Communications Minister Lin Chia-lung's only response was telling the public they have to be "smart road users."

Don't try to squeeze your way onto crowded sections of the freeway during peak travel hours. Be a smart road user so you can be prosperous and avoid evil.

In the past, tourists had the option to travel domestically or overseas. With the travel restrictions currently in place, everyone is heading to domestic destinations. Our existing traffic control measures have no way of handling the crush.

One expert says Taiwan's freeways can't accommodate existing traffic volume and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications needs to come up with traffic dispersion measures before the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

(I recommend) license plate number-based dispersion or even driving time slot registration.

On the second day of the current holiday, southbound traffic on National Freeway 5 averaged a speed of around 40 kilometers per hour. Southbound congestion should improve around 4 p.m. with congestion on northbound lanes starting around the same time.

Northbound congestion will start around 3 p.m. and last until around 10 p.m.

The Freeway Bureau says the level of congestion was "historically unusual" as travel time between Nangang and Toucheng usually takes 27 minutes on weekdays but took 58 minutes on the first day of the long weekend. The bureau says drivers returning north on the 26th and 27th should check traffic information and avoid peak congestion periods.



端午連假，國道大塞車，尤其國五南港坪林南下路段，成了"國道停車場"，連續塞車30小時，恐怕創史上最塞車紀錄。對於大塞車，交通部長林佳龍回應卻是，要民眾當個"聰明的用路人"。

交通部長 林佳龍(06/25)表示：「不要在尖峰時間，在特定的路段，自己要去塞。那我覺得做一個聰明的用路人，能夠趨吉避凶。」

中央警察大學交通學系兼任副教授 李克聰表示：「以往出遊可以兵分兩路，一個是到國外旅遊，一個是在國內旅遊。可是現在國外沒辦法旅遊的話，全部都集中在國內旅遊，比我目前所使用的傳統的交管措施，能夠控管的交通量的，這樣子的情境超過很多。」

學者認為，這樣車流量，很難不塞車，建議交通部應該祭出，更嚴格的交通疏導措施，否則接下來"中秋"連假，塞車30小時情況，還是會重演。

中央警察大學交通學系兼任副教授 李克聰表示：「採用車牌的單雙號來做分流，如果更嚴格的話，必須要採用預約上路。」

端午第二天，塞車情況較前一天舒緩，國五南下，時速約40公里上下，預計下午四點壅塞情況紓解，不過，下午三點過後，就會出現北返車潮。

高公局交通管理組科長 賴建宇表示：「北上的部分，大概是下午三點開始，就會有壅塞。北返的車潮出現，大概是到晚上十點左右，北上的車潮會逐漸的紓解。」

高公局表示，國五塞車情況，史上罕見，過去南港頭城路段，行程時間約27分鐘，連假首日平均要花58分， 約兩倍時間。建議用路人，今明兩天北返，注意路況，避開車多壅塞時間。