Many underpasses, plazas, and public areas in Taoyuan have long been plagued by abandoned vehicles. Parking spaces have been occupied for extended periods, leaving residents unable to use them. This issue has drawn frequent complaints from borough chiefs and local representatives. In the past, the city government was constrained by a lack of legal authority, resulting in a backlog of occupied spaces and increased management risks.
To bridge this institutional gap, Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Su Jun-Pin coordinated a proposal through the district administration meeting platform. The Department of Environmental Protection of the Taoyuan City Government (TYDEP) and the Department of Transportation worked together to develop a solution. Recently, Su led teams from both departments and the local district office to an underpass in Bade to tow illegally parked abandoned vehicles. This marked the first clearing operation since the central government approved the new ordinance, aimed at returning clean, organized spaces to the public before the Lunar New Year.
Su Jun-pin stated that the case originated from reports by borough chiefs and proposals by city councilors. Through the district platform, the city gathered data on various violations and risks. During a site inspection last May, TYDEP noted that while they could tow vehicles from “roads,” underpasses, greenbelts, and plazas did not fall under that legal definition. As a result, they lacked the legal basis to post public notices for mandatory removal. Likewise, because these areas were not classified as official public parking lots, the Department of Transportation could not intervene. This created a “regulatory no-man’s land” that allowed abandoned vehicles to occupy the parking spaces for years.
Su emphasized that beyond being an eyesore, these abandoned vehicles pose public safety hazards, such as fuel leaks from unmanaged tanks. Furthermore, long-term occupation prevents the turnover of parking spaces for those in need. In the Bade case, the local borough chief reported that over half of the 60 available spots were occupied by abandoned vehicles, a persistent problem for the neighborhood.
Su Jun-pin pointed out that this case was advanced through the district administration meeting mechanism. Following thorough discussions between the relevant departments and district offices, it was resolved that TYDEP would draft the “Taoyuan City Self-Government Ordinance for Public Area Abandoned Vehicle Removal,” while the Department of Transportation would revise the “Taoyuan City Self-Government Ordinance for Public Parking Lot Charges and Management.” This dual approach integrates underpass spaces into the legal scope of both departments, authorizing management units to post warning notices. If a vehicle is not moved after the announcement period, authorities will now have the power to tow and clear it.
Su praised the cross-departmental collaboration and thanked the City Council for their support. The ordinances were passed late last year, approved by the central government, and officially implemented on January 13 this year. In the recent operation at the National Freeway 2 underpass in Bade’s Dafu Borough, 15 vehicles that remained after the notice period were successfully removed by TYDEP. This ensures public space management no longer has “blurred boundaries” and that parking spaces are returned to the citizens. This model will be used to clear other public lands in the future.
TYDEP added that under the new system, management units can report abandoned vehicles for centralized towing. In the case executed in Bade District, all vehicles that remained uncleaned after the seven-day announcement period had expired were fully relocated in accordance with the law. Owners still have a 30-day window to reclaim their vehicles from storage; otherwise, they will be treated as waste. The Department of Transportation also explained that underpass parking spots are now legally part of the public parking system, allowing them to clear vehicles parked for more than 10 consecutive days.
Councilor Yang Chao-Wei, who proposed the legislation, stated that the ordinances fill a long-term gap and balance procedural justice with the public interest. Lu Hsueh-Chang, the Chief of Dafu Borough, expressed his gratitude, noting that residents had complained for years about the pile-up of abandoned motorcycles, and the new laws finally provided a solution to the local problem.