By Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerAdditional transportation capacity from Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp （台灣高鐵） and bus companies across the nation will cover any shortfall in transportation capacity on May 1, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, as it presented its contingency plan in response to the Taiwan Railway Labor Union’s plan to strike on Workers’ Day.
The government is not extending subsidies to travel agents as it switches its focus to rebooting the tourism industry, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said on Wednesday.
Wang and Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) on Wednesday evening spoke with representatives from the Travel Agent Association, Travel Quality Assurance Association and local travel associations on the status of the tourism industry.
Representatives suggested that the ministry should continue subsidizing salaries in the tourism sector until the border is fully reopened upon COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted.
However, the government has progressed toward revitalizing the tourism industry rather than offering
‘NECESSARY STEP’: The transportation minister said he did not propose a TRA corporatization draft statute to the railway union, but discussed it with workersBy Shelley Shan / Staff Reporter
The Taiwan Railway Labor Union should think twice before going on strike on International Workers’ Day on May 1, as the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) would lose public support if a strike restricts travel, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kuo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday.
The union on Wednesday voted to strike on May 1 if the government continues to pursue a plan to turn the agency into a state-run corporation, disregarding the union’s requests.
Half of all TRA workers might participate in the strike, the union said.
“We hope the union will reconsider [its plan], as the agency has gained support
Budget targeted over new China Airlines jet livery
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Members of pro-independence groups yesterday urged lawmakers to freeze the budget of the China Aviation Development Foundation (航空事業發展基金會) the largest shareholder of China Airlines as the airline had failed to deliver a new design for its planes that would clearly identify it as a Taiwanese airline.
The groups at a rally outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei said that they would start gathering signatures to seek public support for such a resolution.
The airline’s new cargo jet livery, which was unveiled last week, has the word “Cargo” painted at the front of the fuselage with an outline of Taiwan proper placed in the letter “C.”