Alliance Wants Name 'Zhongzheng Road' Removed 「移除中正路」行動聯盟 更發起更名連署

Zhongzheng Road" is Taiwan's most popular road name, with 38 roads around Taiwan having that name. Now, a "Removal of Zhongzheng Road" action alliance has launched a petition to get the name removed. The Tainan City Government says there are legal procedures that have to be followed for such a change. 

Tainan's Zhongzheng Road is very busy and lined with shops and businesses. There are 38 Zhongzheng roads in Taiwan, making it the most popular street name in Taiwan. Now, a "Removal of Zhongzheng Road" action alliance has launched a petition to get the name removed, saying the government must face the problem of authoritarian road name reform and heal leftover authoritarian scars.

Chiang Yao-hsien, Spokesperson, Removal of Zhongzheng Road Action Alliance: “Everyone will reflect on Taiwan's democratic progress on Feb. 28. We have followed transitional justice regulations. So, we sent letters to the Presidential Office, to the six special municipalities, to magistrates and mayors, and even to township chiefs. The name can only be removed with an administrative order. The key word is "removal," not "name change." We have not set any restrictions on what new names would be.”Opinion in Tainan is mixed.

Local Business Owner: “It would cause a lot of trouble for local businesses. Our addresses would change and only our old customers would be able to find us and know where are.”

Citizen: “Both Jiaosi and Taichung have changed their names in the past. I don't think it's impossible, but it's up to the government.”

The Tainan City Government says transitional justice has always been one of Mayor Huang Wei-che's top priorities and he changed the name of a 100-meter road in front of Tang Te-chang Memorial Park from Zhongzheng Road to Tang Te-chang Boulevard in 2022. The alliance is therefore optimistic.

Tien Ling-hu, Spokesperson, Tainan City Government: “We have to get the consent of 20 percent of residents before we can conduct a survey. Over two-thirds of residents have to vote in favor of us to begin the administrative name-changing process.”

As changing the name of a road involves replacing road and address signs, overhauling household registration registers, and a lot of other administrative processes, Tainan will be taking local history and inconveniencing residents into account before taking any action.

台南中正路上車水馬龍，商家林立，不過光是同名「中正路」，全台南就有38條，是全台最多。為此，「移除中正路」行動聯盟近期發起連署，號召群眾力量，要求政府正視威權路名改革問題，修補威權政府遺留的傷痕。

移除中正路行動聯盟發言人蔣耀賢表示：「2月28號大家會反省台灣民主進步的情況，我們發起這個移除中正路，其實當然是依照促轉條例，所以我們有行文給總統府，到六都，到縣市首長，甚至到鄉鎮首長這樣，因為這只要行政命令就可以移除，重點是移除，不是改名，那移除後要叫什麼名字，我們沒有設限。」

不過全台南的中正路都存在已久，以人潮最多的中西區中正路來說，民眾對於改不改名，也有不同看法。

當地商家說：「周邊的店家，我們營業的基本上我們住址，我們一些認識的客戶單位知道這個地方，把路名改掉後，會對我們造成很大困擾。」

有民眾則認為：「不管是礁溪或是台中，都曾經成功改名之後，我會覺得說，這個改名這件事並不是不可能，只是政府決心的問題而已。」

台南市府表示，轉型正義一直是台南市長黃偉哲持續推動的政策，去年更把湯德章紀念公園前100公尺的中正路段更名為湯德章大道，邁出第一步。對於民團建議也樂觀其成，後續將視連署狀況而定。

台南市政府發言人田玲瑚回應：「我們必須要有五分之一的戶長連署同意，我們才能進行民調的調查，有三分之二以上戶長同意，我們才能來進行更名的行政程序。」

不過台南市府也強調，由於街路更名牽涉範圍廣，包括路牌、戶籍等更動程序複雜，台南市府將會考量歷史共業與民眾生活影響的兩大因素下，一步一步規劃更名相關事宜。