The 2023 Lunar New Year holiday will last for 10 days from January 20 (Friday) to January 29 (Sunday). The Eastern Region Branch Office of the Directorate General of Highways, MOTC (Ministry of Transportation and Communications) said that heavy southbound traffic for people returning to their hometown on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday (January 20) and from January 22 to 24 will be expected; due to the long holiday, the congested northbound traffic for family trips and people going back to work will appear from January 24 to 28. At that time, there will be serious congestion along the Suhua Corridor, the interchanges of National Highway No. 5, and the northbound Jiaoxi section of Provincial Highway No. 9. When National Highway No. 5 is congested, motorists can take the Beiyi Highway section of Provincial Highway No. 9 or make full use of the public transportation such highway bus and railway services.
In order to improve traffic efficiency, in addition to periodic vehicle control, the Eastern Region Branch Office of the Directorate General of Highways, MOTC will also use signs to manage the traffic flow along the Suhua Corridor, request the assistance of local police to direct traffic, and step up the ban on traffic violations, hoping to shorten the period of traffic congestion. Furthermore, in order to encourage people to use public transportation more and increase the competitiveness of public transportation services along the Suhua Corridor, during this long holiday, measures that gives priority to buses will be implemented for the peak hours for the Suao area, Hualien Heping area and Hualien Chongde area, in conjunction with the Suhua Highway Improvement Project measure to open up the road shoulder (emergency lane) for buses, hoping to improve the service efficiency of public transportation during peak hours, so as to attract people to take public transportation for returning to their hometown or traveling to the Yilan or Hualien areas.
Since there are a large number of tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday, people using “electronic tickets” to take trains and highway buses and then transfer via city buses can enjoy free basic fare on city buses. People using electronic tickets to take the No. 1878 Yuanshan-Yilan highway bus to the Yilan Transfer Station, and then transfer via the Green 12 Yilan Transfer Station-Songluo city bus to reach their destination can save a basic fare of NT$15.
Lastly, road users are reminded to perform a vehicle safety check before departure, and to follow safety regulations and speed limits when entering the tunnel. Buses and trucks must keep a safe distance of 100 meters from the vehicle in front, and small passenger cars must keep a safe distance of 50 meters from the vehicle in front. Road users can also use the “Happy Buck” App to receive the latest road conditions and voice broadcasts of provincial roads via mobile devices. Please download and enjoy the app. The Directorate General of Highways, MOTC wishes you a safe trip.
Unit in charge: Jinyue Section
Tel: 03-9962683
Contact person: Xin-Wei Zhang, Head of the Jinyue Section (03) 9982501