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Many people lately have been complaining about illegally parked bicycles, especially Obikes. But what are the laws currently for bicycles in Taipei? One can search, but most crucial info is in Chinese. Below we have provided a summary of our findings as well as an appendix of the full translated Taipei bicycle laws for you.
(The following information was found at the Taipei Police Bureau website; their English materials are limited).
http://td.police.taipei/ct.asp?xitem=1111580&CtNode=31514&mp=108191 The relevant articles for bicycles are contained in the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act from articles 69-131. The Taipei Police Bureau only has English for articles 69-90, so I have painstakingly translated the relevant articles from article 90 to article 131. Because this is really long, I have put some of the most interesting parts first here below with commentary: Summary of Findings: When Should Bicycles Yield? According to article 124, slow moving vehicles (bicycles) have to yield to everything on the road, including people and objects. Also, they should also stay on the right side of the road. Article 124: Before driving, the driver should pay attention to whether there are obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, and should yield to pedestrians and other vehicles. When driving, drivers should follow the road traffic signs, markings, instructions, and be subject to traffic controller’s commands. When driving on a road, drivers should follow the marked signs or provisions of the road; if there are no signs or markings, drivers should follow the provisions below:
Bicycle Path Rules: According to article 124-1, bicycle paths in cities still give precedent to pedestrians. In other words, you must yield to pedestrians when travelling on bike paths. Sorry. Article 124-1: The competent authority of the road, the urban road authority or the police authority may, without blocking traffic or compromising safety, make a slow vehicle path on sidewalks and set the necessary signs or markings for slow travel. Slow vehicles should follow these lines on the path, and should give priority to pedestrians. Pedestrians and Buses: According to article 126, bikers should yield to pedestrians even when they J-walk. Also, much to my chagrin, bikes are always supposed to yield to buses, even to the point of stopping at an intersection for them. Article 126: When pedestrians are crossing the road, with or without traffic controllers, Drivers should let pedestrians to pass first. When traveling with buses or other mass transit vehicles, when approaching have turn signal sound or light, slow vehicles shall change lanes in accordance with regulations and give priority to these vehicles. Slow vehicles are prohibited from closely following or approaching, except where otherwise provided by the competent authority of the road. Bicycle Parking: According to article, 131 bikes can only be parked in designated parking spots with signs or painted lines. They can park in scooter parking. We will see if this changes, as with the onslaught of Obike Mayer Ke promised he would change these regulations. We will keep you updated with any developments. Article 131: Slow moving vehicles cannot be parked unconditionally. Vehicles shall be parked in specified places or within the line markings, and park in an orderly line. In places where bicycle parking facilities are not provided, bicycles may park in motorcycle parking, but may not park in parking designated for cars or heavy motorcycles. Concluding Remarks: The rules for pedestrians and buses are reasonable, but I don't think anyone follows bicycle parking rules, and even less people get a ticket for it. I think that this law is so unenforced that it is laughable. I mean, you can't go up to every grandpa in the park and tell him he parked his bike in the wrong place. With Obike taking over thousands of scooter parking spots in the city (not to mention tons of bikes being thrown in bushes and rivers), the Taipei city government needs to act quickly to improve these regulations. Please click "Read More" for the full translated version of Taipei bike laws. Otherwise please like and share below!
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Taiwan is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but there are many secret natural wonders that foreigners like us that have lived here got years have yet to go. In this list, we will give the top 10 secret natural wonders that we have not been too. If these were easy to get to, we would have gone there already.
10. Jiqi (Chi Chi) Beach 機奇海濱游樂區 
This beach is secluded in Eastern Taiwan. It might be easy to get to, that's why its last on the list. Located between Hualien and Taitung, it has some world class surfing, and you can also swim and paddle board here. The beach includes showers, and the sunsets are beautiful.
Photo cred: http://tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw/Portal/Content.aspx?lang=0&p=005060001&area=5&id=2 9. Taitung Moon World 利吉惡地 
I knew there was a moon world in Kaohsiung but I was surprised to find its counterpart also existed in Taitung. Due to Taiwan’s heavy rainfall mixed with raised sediment, much of Taiwan is filled with eroding badlands like this. These formations are some of the most unique and picturesque in Taiwan. Photo cred:
http://blog.xuite.net/huiching317/twblog/152583666-%E5%8F%B0%E6%9D%B1%E5%88%A9%E5%90%89%E6%83%A1%E5%9C%B0 8. Fish Road Old Trail 魚路古道 
This trail is not far from Taipei in Yangming National Park. This trail features a grassy lava plateau, with grazing cattle: a very rare sight in Taiwan. Photo:
http://blog.xuite.net/charliewu001/wretch/112311459-%E9%AD%9A%E8%B7%AF%E5%8F%A4%E9%81%93+%26+%E4%B8%83%E6%98%9F%E5%B1%B1 7. Qinshui Ying Old Trail 浸水營古道 
This historic road dates from the Qing dynasty. Located in Pingtung County, it runs from Fangliao to Dawu, and is mountain bike accessible. I hear it is best traversed in winter to avoid heavy rains and landslides. Photo:
http://blog.xuite.net/chevalvolant/tw/123791153-2013%2F03%E6%B5%B8%E6%B0%B4%E7%87%9F%E5%8F%A4%E9%81%93 6. Jiji Green Tunnel 集集綠色隧道 
This “tunnel” runs between Sun Moon Lake and the small town of Jiji in Nantou county. This road seems best cycled, as there are many views to be enjoyed, such as Sun Moon Lake, little villages, dams, and most of all: beautiful green forests.
http://www.gont.com.tw/ji-ji-xiu-xian-nong-ye-qu-1 http://okgo.tw/butyview.html?id=323 5. 慄松溫泉 Lisong Hot Spring 
This is known as perhaps Taiwan’s most beautiful natural hot spring. Getting there requires some river tracing, but that should make getting there all the more fun. Over the years people have dammed up the hot spring to make a nice pool to soak in. Photo:
http://www.zztaitung.com/2114/lisong-hot-spring 4. Caoling Historic Trail 草嶺古道 
This is a historic ocean-side highway that used to connect Yilan with the rest of northern Taiwan. It features cliffs, tunnels, and breathtaking views of the ocean. Parts of it are also accessible by bike.
https://thedailybubbletea.com/2008/03/06/caoling-trail-taiwans-beautiful-northeast-coast/ 3. Walami Trail 哇拉米古道 
This is an old Japanese road originally built so that they could better control aborigines in Eastern Taiwan. Near Hualien, it is well known in hiking circles for its historic significance as well as the untouched natural beauty. It is also accessible via mountain bike. http://tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw/en/Attraction/Album.aspx?id=145&type=4#content 2. Jiaming Lake 嘉明湖 
This is the second highest lake in Taiwan, and sits above the tree line. Located in Taitung County, it is not far from Jade Mountain National Park. This hike is a favorite for Taiwan locals to come and take photos. http://mapio.net/pic/p-6560618/ 1. O’Holy Ridge 聖稜線 
Revered by some to be best hike in Taiwan, this hike spans some of Taiwan’s highest peaks in the Sheipa Range. Much of this hike is on a razor thin ridge with thousands of feet of drop-off on either side. I hear the views are incredible.
If you have anything you feel should be added to this list, feel free to send us a comment. We hope to visit these places soon, but then again there's always a beauty in leaving something undone. -FITW |
Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living and working in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
December 2018
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