TAIPEI: Taipei metro's plan to connect its Neihu Line with Junghe and Yonghe of Taipei county met with a setback yesterday, when an evaluation committee under Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) suggested a stricter review.

An ad hoc committee set up by the EPA concluded the plan for the so-called "North South Line" will have major impact on the environment and even on the lives and economy of people living and working along the proposed route.

The committee suggested the plan enter a stricter, second-stage evaluation. It also urged the "Ministry of Transportation and Communications", Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit Systems and all city and county governments involved to carry out comprehensive studies on the environmental cost of the NT$90-billion ($2.73 billion) metro project.

Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit Systems revealed its plan to build the 17.1-kilometer metro line in 2004 after a year-long feasibility study.

The plan calls for 17 stations, starting from Jiannan Station on the newly-launched Neihu Line, extending to Junghe and Yonghe in Taipei County. The rationale for the new line takes into consideration the enormous traffic volume through the area, the potential for regional development and convenience to the public. After five public hearings and a number of studies, an expert committee set up by the Taipei municipal government concluded the plan superior to other transportation alternatives. The plan was submitted to the Executive Yuan in late 2007.

The EPA began its evaluation of the plan's environmental impact last year. The committee has held four meetings about the plan, including yesterday's.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/07/2009 page2)