The municipal government passed Taiwan’s first “Taichung City Mountain Hiking Activity Management Autonomous Ordinance” on the 6th. The ordinance stipulates that when the Central Weather Bureau issues a sea typhoon warning, the city government can announce restricted areas. Citizens who forcibly enter the mountains or delay evacuation may be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000. In the event of an accident requiring a city-led rescue operation, the rescued individuals may be charged for necessary expenses such as dispatch mobilization, rental of rescue equipment, and vehicles, exceeding the amount covered by insurance.
After being approved at the municipal government meeting yesterday, the “Taichung City Mountain Hiking Activity Management Autonomous Ordinance” still needs to be submitted to the city council for review. Mayor Lin Chia-lung stated that this is a pioneering move that balances safety and the rights of citizens to hike, and that making rescued individuals bear rescue costs follows the user-pays principle, which he believes will gain public support.
Taichung City will be divided into general control and special control mountain areas. When engaging in hiking activities in either type of area, citizens should carry positioning devices, including GPS units or smartphones with positioning capabilities, as well as emergency communication equipment such as satellite phones, mobile phones, or radios.
Mayor Lin Chia-lung has asked the Fire Bureau to communicate with the Financial Supervisory Commission to discuss amendments, aiming to remove the five-person insurance limit and increase emergency rescue payment amounts. As Taichung’s mountain areas border neighboring counties and cities, he hopes that nearby regions such as Yilan, Nantou, and Miaoli will also establish related regulations together.