Officials brace for holiday traffic
POLICY ADJUSTMENTS: Standing passengers would be limited to 15 per carriage, the TRA said, while high-speed rail service over the holiday would only offer reserved seating
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday told officials to closely monitor Lunar New Year holiday traffic, as many people might opt to drive amid a rise in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.
Lin also told the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) and bus operators to prepare to offer additional services to holiday travelers.
The TRA would limit the number of standing passengers on intercity train services to no more than 15 per car, or about 120 per train, it said, adding that such restrictions would not apply to commuter services.
Corporate bond issuance more than doubled last year
FUNDING: After hitting a record NT$813.19 billion last year, corporate bond issuance could grow further this year if interest rates remain low, a TPEX official said
By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporter
Corporate bond issuance last year hit a record NT$813.19 billion (US$28.55 billion), up 106 percent from a year earlier, as companies took advantage of lower interest rates to repay old debt or fund new investments, Taipei Exchange (TPEX) data showed.
Straight bond issuance totaled 209 last year, valued at NT$743.59 billion, up 109 percent from NT$354.85 billion in 2019, while convertible bond issuance totaled 100, valued at NT$69.61 billion, up 71 percent from NT$40.6 billion, the data showed.
Taiwan News Quick Take
Blood donations urged
The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation on Friday issued an urgent call for blood donations, as the supply in several areas had fallen below the officially designated safe level of seven days. The shortages were most severe in Taipei and Hsinchu, which had an average stock of less than three days, with supplies of blood types AB and O running especially low, the foundation said, adding Kaohsiung and Taichung also had shortages, with average remaining stocks of 4.6 days and 5.1 days respectively. Blood reserves in northern Taiwan were especially low, likely because of a drop in donations due to the cold weather in the past few days, said Hung Ying-sheng (洪英聖), a representative of the foundation.
Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) will start selling tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday on Jan. 11, the company announced Friday.