Arrivals from Korea could reach 115,000 this year, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 104,000 and generating more than NT$2 billion for local shopping districts.

Local officials argue that Fongshan, Kaohsiung’s most populous district with over 350,000 residents, should be considered as a future transport hub. Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) and several Fongshan representatives previously suggested that a high-speed rail station could be integrated with the existing Taiwan Railways Fongshan Station (鳳山車站).

Officials say the plan was expected to receive final approval by the end of July, with the central government approving NT$12 million in funding, including more than NT$9 million in subsidies.

The Pingtung County Government said the project is intended to ease traffic through central Fangliao, where heavy holiday traffic, frequent traffic lights, and local congestion have long slowed vehicles moving through southern Pingtung.

Motorcyclists are calling on Kaohsiung officials to change traffic rules at the Y-shaped intersection of Jhongjheng 1st Road (中正一路) and Sanduo 1st Road (三多一路) near Weiwuying (衛武營), saying the current two-stage turn requirement is inefficient and creates safety conflicts.

Police said driving while fatigued is believed to be the main cause of the crash, but a city inspection also pointed to a familiar mix of illegal scooter parking, limited pedestrian space, and road design problems around the site.

Residents in Fongshan District (鳳山區) are calling for a planned Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line station to be named Cilaoye (七老爺 – Qīlǎoyé), saying the historic place name should be preserved as the line expands into the area.

Sixteen new stations are expected to open over the next 10 years, with Tainan’s underground station scheduled to be the first of them to open by the end of 2026.

The long-delayed National Freeway No. 7 project is showing new signs of movement, with parts of the 23-kilometer Kaohsiung route entering the tendering process after years of planning, environmental review, and local opposition.

The Highway Bureau said plans call for the expressway to run about 22.6 kilometers from the Zuoying High Speed Rail Station (高鐵左營站) area, passing National Freeways No. 7 and No. 10 before crossing the Kaoping River and connecting with National Freeway No. 3. The four-lane route is planned to include three system interchanges and five local ramps.