“This level of concentration [in the Dianbao River basin in Kaohsiung] is a powerful indicator that they are not just surviving—they are thriving and reproducing,” the Association warned.
City officials said traffic safety work remains ongoing and called for public cooperation, saying the government will continue pursuing its “4-E” strategy for improvement: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Encouraging public transportation.
The city’s Transportation Bureau said the “Ride for the Earth” campaign runs from now through May 17. Participants who complete the required Instagram tasks through @youbike_tw.
The government aims to finalize all environmental and urban planning reviews by the end of 2026, with the goal of starting physical relocation in 2027.
Under the program, groups of at least 15 people can apply for the subsidy if they visit designated attractions in Cieding (茄萣), Yongan (永安), Mituo (彌陀), Ziguan (梓官), and Linyuan (林園), and include a local meal as part of the itinerary.
If successful, the pilot could offer a relatively simple way to improve walking conditions at some of the city’s most exposed transfer points. But the broader debate is likely to center on whether Kaohsiung is prepared to treat shade as essential public infrastructure rather than a seasonal afterthought.
Officials said the new camera enforcement sites are mostly in busy areas with heavy pedestrian traffic and a higher risk of accidents, especially near schools, traditional markets, shopping areas, and hospitals.
The condition of Kaohsiung’s unhoused population rarely makes headlines. Their numbers may be small compared with those in many Western cities of similar size, but they are part of the city’s social landscape, and many understandably gravitate toward transit stations for shelter, relative safety, and access to public restrooms.
