Roads and Public Transport Congested on First Day of Long Weekend
Some sections of the National Freeway saw speeds reduced to stop and go, while a rockfall on the Suhua Highway saw traffic back up more than 10 kilometers as motorists hit the road for the New Year long weekend. Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways were also strained as passengers crammed onto trains.
On National Freeway 1, traffic traveled at 20-40 kph earlier in the morning, but by noon between Tucheng and Longtan, speeds had reduced to a snail-pace stop and go.
On the east coast, the Suhua Highway saw a rockfall reduce two-way traffic to a single lane at the 114 km mark from 8:50 am. The Highway Bureau expects that it will be cleared by around 3:00 pm. Authorities are on the alert for more rockfalls as rainy conditions persist in the north east. A total of 260 police officers and personnel are manning intersections along the route to assist traffic flow and maintain safety.
At Kenting, which has been making the news lately due to a fall in tourist numbers, all accommodation is reported fully booked, and an influx of vehicles began late in the morning. An expected 80,000 visitors are expected for the 3-day long weekend.
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