Now that the temperatures have surpassed 30 degrees, it can be unbearable to sit at a traffic light under the hot sun. Many scooter drivers instead illegally find shaded areas to wait. To reduce the amount of time drivers have to sit in the heat, Taipei announced that in July and August, 740 red lights are to be shortened by 21 seconds on average. One intersection in Tianmu cut its time down to 80 seconds from 170.

For waiting at red lights under the scorching sun, many scooter drivers wear gloves, sleeves, and thin jackets as well as sunscreen. Yet even with all that, sitting in over 30 degree temperatures can be too much.

Scooter driver
If there’s a tree nearby, I’ll wait under it or in the shade.

Scooter driver
I wear sunscreen. You have to protect your hands. Also sleeves and ice water.

Scooter driver
You have to wait by the side of the road. If there’s no shade, then you just have to deal with it. If your arms are like this and the top gets tanned, just turn them over. At least it won’t be uneven.

To minimize time spent in the sun, Taipei is shortening red light times from July 1 until the end of August. At 740 intersections across the city, times will be cut by 21 seconds on average. The biggest change is in Tianmu, where one light will be reduced by 90 seconds.

Scooter driver
Sometimes there’s nowhere shaded to wait and it really gets too hot in the sun. So it’s nice that they’re cutting the times.

Scooter driver
You need to have the proper supporting measures. If you don’t, I have to wait for pedestrians to cross. If I don’t turn in time, it’ll be another 20 seconds and it’s the same.

The city government says that wait times will only be reduced from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to minimize impact on other motorists.

Wu Yu-wei
Taipei traffic control deputy head
If at a particular intersection, vehicles aren’t able to turn right in time, like the one I just mentioned, we’ll do our best to fix it. For the traffic light times, we’ll avoid peak hours.

Fewer lights will be shortened this year than in the past two years. But no matter what, having to wait a few fewer seconds in the sun is a welcome reprieve for motorists.

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