Keelung MRT route becomes the focus. Tong Ziwei mentions five major policies, Xie Guoliang points out self-contradiction

The second phase of the Keelung MRT route became the focus of attack and defense at the Keelung mayoral candidate online debate yesterday. The city government issued a press release late last night to clarify that the number of demolished households, 3, was due to a verbal error by Keelung Mayor Xie Guoliang, and the estimated number of affected houses was less than 10. Tong Ziwei, the Keelung mayoral candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, criticized that Xie Guoliang even got the demolition figures wrong. Municipal affairs have continued to occur repeatedly in the past four years. How can citizens believe it? Xie Guoliang questioned that Tong Ziwei’s five major MRT policies were contradictory.

The Transportation Department issued a press release stating that Xie Guoliang's mention in the debate that the current plan "only requires the demolition of three residential houses" was a slip of the tongue. The current MRT route plan is based on minimizing the demolition of residential houses as an important evaluation principle. According to the current planning, the estimated number of affected houses is less than 10, and the actual number of houses will be further confirmed based on the engineering design.

The Department of Transportation stated that according to the current planned route, it does not pass through the Kaiji Lao Takong Temple and the Soka Gakkai Hall. As for concerns about mountain geology, underground water, and tunnel construction, domestic engineering technology and construction experience are quite mature. There is no situation where the project is not feasible or the construction period is extended. The mountain tunnel planning and design will still be carried out in the future.

Tong Ziwei said this morning that the MRT has been discussed in Keelung for 30 years, during which Xie Guoliang served as a legislator and mayor for 20 years, but even the demolition figures were wrong. The Transportation Department also said that the actual number of buildings to be demolished needs to be further confirmed. How can citizens trust the city government.

Tong Ziwei also put forward five major policies for the Keelung MRT issue, advocating that "the MRT must be built, we must strive for cooperation between the central government and the two norths, we must directly connect Dawulun, we must make Taiwan Railways and MRT a win-win situation, and we must not turn the MRT into a political label." He emphasized that the MRT and Taiwan Railway are both major construction projects that will affect Keelung in the next few decades. He did not want to continue to be trapped in endless political attacks and defenses in the final stage before the election, so he proposed five major policies.

Tong Ziwei believes that using the existing Taiwan Railway Corridor to enter the urban area is a direction worthy of priority research. He reiterated that the Taiwan Railway would not be dismantled during his term. Different plans could have been discussed. Routes, projects, funding, land and supporting facilities should be clearly studied, and they should be fully communicated through central ministry assessments, expert studies, public hearings and local discussions, instead of simplifying complex transportation policies into political offense and defense.

Xie Guoliang said that Tong Ziwei's five major policies are contradictory. His position has always been clear, that is, "the Taiwan Railway will not withdraw from the market, and the MRT will enter Anle." If Tong Ziwei really values ​​the Keelung MRT, he should put forward a specific and feasible project plan.