Getting a speeding ticket during rush hour in Taiwan’s cities is virtually unheard-of as roads are so choked with cars and scooters that reaching the speed limit is all but impossible. Thanks to the help of auxiliary traffic police, however, drivers can still reach their destinations. Clad in orange shirts and reflective vests, these men and women can be seen at busy intersections during rush hour, blowing their whistles and waving their orange batons. They stand there day in and day out, making things easier, or at least a little more orderly, for everyone on the road.
Auxiliary traffic police units have been operating in the nation since the 1960s. Most police departments employ auxiliary traffic police to lessen the burden on regular officers. As the population has risen, so has the need for order on the roads. Taipei City’s auxiliary traffic police squad, for example, has grown from 165 members when it was set up in 1968 to around 1,000 in 2015.
Most auxiliary traffic police are off-duty taxi drivers who are familiar with the traffic patterns of their cities and have flexible work hours. In addition to directing vehicles during rush hour, they control traffic at major events and provide assistance should a collision take place. As driving around cities is their full-time job, they also monitor the streets, reporting any accidents or crimes they witness. Auxiliary traffic police receive wages ranging from NT$100 to $200 (US$3.25 to $6.50) for each hour of service, depending on local government regulations.
The flow of traffic in Taiwan’s cities may have room for improvement, but while drivers complain and curse in their cars, auxiliary traffic police stand at the crossroads to do something about it.
Write to Jim Hwang at cyhuang03@mofa.gov.tw