Taiwan to invest NT$5.77bn in cycling pathsBy Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe government is to allocate about NT$5.77 billion (US$184 million) over three years to build bicycle paths nationwide to boost Taiwan’s profile as an international destination for cycling enthusiasts, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai gestures beside tourism mascot Bravo the Bear yesterday as he embarks from Taipei on an nationwide bike tour to survey the state of the nation’s cycle paths. Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei TimesThe bike routes must appeal to Taiwanese as well as cyclists from abroad, he said. Railways, footpaths and cycling paths are all key facets to encourage low-carbon tourism, Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said. Chou said he hoped that cyclists visiting Taiwan would not only take a round-the-island tour, but also visit other cycling routes such as Sun Moon Lake, Dapengwan (大鵬灣) and Penghu County.
