Taipei: A plan announced in March by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an to remove a roundabout at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road and an underpass for buses in the city’s Gongguan area has been paused after city councilors urged better communication with the public on Monday.

According to Focus Taiwan, Taipei City Department of Transportation Commissioner Hsieh Ming-hong agreed to halt the road work originally set to begin on June 28 during Monday’s session of Taipei City Council’s Transportation Committee. The decision followed the committee’s approval of a proposal to hold a public hearing on June 30.

The roundabout is situated at an intersection notorious for traffic accidents and injuries in Taipei, averaging three accidents every four days over the past seven years, Hsieh informed the committee. Mayor Chiang highlighted in a social media post on March 25 that the roundabout’s design increases the risk of accidents and poses dangers for pedestrians.

However, Councilor Miao Po-ya of the Social Democratic Party advocated for retaining the underpass, criticizing the city government for announcing the road work’s start date at the first public project presentation on May 29 without consensus on closing the underpass. Miao referenced an October 2024 evaluation predicting a 40-45 percent traffic increase and longer travel times of 163-180 seconds for over 300 bus services per hour during rush hours if the underpass were closed.

City Councilors Keng Wei of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Hsu Shu-hua of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also voiced criticism over the limited public engagement, citing negative feedback from residents, scooter riders, and bus commuters. KMT City Councilor Yu Shu-hui questioned whether the roundabout is the primary cause of accidents, urging the city government to first identify the underlying issues and propose effective safety measures.

While KMT Councilor Chang Szu-kang supports the road work based on his own experiences commuting via Keelung Road, he emphasized the importance of not rushing the project at this critical traffic junction. Commissioner Hsieh assured the committee that his department is prepared to address concerns raised during the upcoming public hearing.

Miao stated in a Facebook post that a proposal requiring a comprehensive evaluation and local consensus before underpass closure will be voted on by the city council on June 25.