Secretariat, Taipei City Government

2016 Taipei Mayor Ko and ECCT luncheon

The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) hosted a luncheon on May 3rd at the Taipei Hyatt. The conference began with an address from ECCT director Bernd Barkey, who noted that the collaboration between ECCT and Taipei City government has entered its 18th year, and that that day’s event would enable those present to share their thoughts on transportation, living standards and life for foreigners in Taiwan, in the hope that these discussions will help Taipei City to evolve. Mayor Ko told the conference that, in order to make Taiwan a more liveable city, we need to understand public opinion and together to make the existence of Taiwan more valuable.
Representatives from the Department of Sports gave a presentation on preparations for the 2017 Universiade, which will be held between 19 and 30 August and will receive an estimated 10,000 athletes from 150 different cities, competing in 22 different sports.
Next, ECCT members asked questions on government policy. They suggested that there should be an English interface for the “臺北好行” and “臺北捷運Go” phone apps and that the orientation of the MRT map should be adjusted. Other concerns included: dealing with scooters on pavements, sharing Taipei City resources with other regions, U-Car implementation and City Hall’s plan to reduce vehicle emissions. Answers were furnished by Mayor Ko and representatives from various departments.
Mayor Ko emphasised that the city government must work harder to internationalize Taipei City. Regarding the lack of English interfaces for tourism apps, Mayor Ko said that signage in the Taipei metro and elsewhere will all be fitted with English translations before the 2017 Universiade. In addition, metro routes will be number- and colour-coded to make it easier for newcomers to use the metro.