President Tsai presented a peace bottle, symbolizing safety, to Captain Shen-Tsai Chen of the New Taima, giving blessings for safe journeys. Presi-dent Tsai emphasized in her speech that improving transportation between Taiwan proper and the outlying island of Matsu is a matter of great im-portance to her. The New Taima fulfills a long-awaited need for transporta-tion for the residents of Matsu, making their travel to and from Matsu smoother and more convenient. It also bears the responsibility of connecting Keelung and Matsu and promoting inter-island tourism. President Tsai warmly welcomed domestic and international tourists to board the New Taima and explore Matsu, a beautiful and diverse maritime paradise.
Executive Yuan Premier Chien-Jen Chen stated that the delivery of the New Taima is a significant achievement in transportation infrastructure, sig-nifying the government’s care for the transportation needs of the residents of Matsu and its support for the local community. The Executive Yuan will continue to promote the Offshore Comprehensive Development Plan by fo-cusing on four main pillars: environmental preservation, low-carbon energy, LOHAS placemaking, and intelligent innovation. Furthermore, the Execu-tive Yuan will collaborate with the local community to implement a total of 146 projects to bridge the urban–rural gap, improve the balance in national development, and bring greater happiness to the residents of all outlying is-lands. The expansion of Matsu Beigan Airport, which was completed recent-ly, is also expected to contribute to these goals. Making an inaugural flight with Mandarin Airlines is a great choice. As the “Blue Tear” season ap-proaches, we invite everyone to plan a trip to Keelung and board the New Taima for a few-night stay in Matsu during the holidays to enjoy the won-derful experiences Matsu has to offer.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Kwo-Tsai Wang ex-pressed in his speech that the design of the New Taima facilitates the trans-portation of passengers, vehicles, and fresh produce. The New Taima will greatly benefit the development of tourism and the transportation of essen-tial goods to Matsu. Matsu is blessed with a number of world-class attrac-tions, including Chinbe, the North Sea Tunnel, and Daqiu, which makes it well worth a visit. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications ex-pects to continue improving maritime and aviation transportation connec-tions to Matsu, making it more convenient for international tourists to reach the island and making Matsu a destination that captures the word’s attention.
Legislator Hsueh-Sheng Chen thanked President Tsai and the Execu-tive Yuan for listening to the residents of Matsu and facilitating the con-struction of the New Taima, expressing his hope that President Tsai could also assist in the construction of the Matsu Bridge.
Chief of Lienchiang County Chung-Ming Wang stated that despite the numerous complications and challenges that arose during the construction of the New Taima, the mission was effectively accomplished through the con-certed efforts of the government departments and related agencies involved, creating a glorious new chapter in Taiwan’s maritime history.
The Director General of the Maritime and Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications Hsieh-Lung Yeh gave a briefing on the New Taima procurement project. The project had an initial budget of NT$ 1.14 billion and was fully subsidized by the central government. The vessel has a total tonnage of 5,341 t and can accommodate 642 passengers, 45 small vehicles, and four 20-foot refrigerated containers. The New Taima meets the transportation needs of local residents and also satisfies the de-mand for vehicle transportation, fresh produce shipping, and mail delivery. To enhance aesthetics in public transportation, the Maritime and Port Bu-reau commissioned the Taiwan Design Research Institute to assist in the ex-terior design and spatial layout of the New Taima. The design incorporates clean color blocks and lines and introduces local elements of Matsu, giving the vessel a unique appearance that will delight passengers.
The Lienchiang County government commissioned All Ports Trans-portation to operate the New Taima. After its inaugural voyage today, the New Taima will replace the existing Taima vessel on the Nangan–Dongyin route and the existing Taima Star vessel on the Taiwan–Matsu route during its weekly maintenance period. Starting from June 1st, the New Taima will become the main transportation service for the Taiwan–Matsu route, provid-ing even higher quality maritime transportation services for Matsu residents and reinvigorating offshore tourism.
Contact person: Section Chief Shu-Chuan Wang, Vessel Management Division
Phone number: 02-89785423
