The National Land Management Agency of the Ministry of the Interior and Kaohsiung City Government’s Transportation Bureau and Bureau of Cultural Affairs joined hands to launch a series of activities with the theme “Reading and Road Traffic, Hand in Hand.”

【Reported from Kaohsiung】Road traffic safety is an issue that all citizens must learn about throughout their lives. In 2022, the National Land Management Agency of the Ministry of the Interior and Kaohsiung City Government’s Transportation Bureau and Bureau of Cultural Affairs joined hands to launch a series of activities with the theme “Reading and Road Traffic, Hand in Hand.” This was an attempt to promote the concept of “Value Human Lives, Uphold Traffic Safety” among citizens. These activities received positive responses from the public. They won the “Golden Safety Award” of the Innovative Road Safety Contribution Award from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the highest award for contributions to traffic safety education. This year, the activities have been linked to the program’s next phase to expand further its influence among the citizens, which involves hosting a book exhibition tour with the theme of human-centered traffic safety, which will be held across 40 of Kaohsiung Public Library’s (KPL) branch libraries.

According to Senior Engineer Wang Si-Ming from the Urban Infrastructure Division of the National Land Management Agency, Ministry of Interior, the Kaohsiung City Government’s “Reading and Road Traffic, Hand in Hand” program was a result of cross-departmental collaboration. Each activity held under the program’s banner was a huge success. Therefore, all parties eagerly looked forward to expanding the program’s reach by interconnecting varying bodies in a comprehensive web that includes Kaohsiung’s 160 events in 38 administrative districts across several kindergartens, elementary schools, and libraries in the city. Such events serve as educational promotional tools to increase the citizens’ awareness and strengthen their understanding of road and human-centered traffic safety.

Director Chang Shu-Chuan from Kaohsiung City Government’s Bureau of Transportation emphasized her gratitude to the National Land Management Agency for providing the “Increasing Road Quality Program 2.0” subsidies to promote human-centered traffic safety at schools. She also thanked the Kaohsiung Public Library (KPL) for cooperating in implementing the “Reading and Road Traffic, Hand in Hand” program. The concept of “Value Human Lives, Uphold Traffic Safety” has always been the Bureau of Transportation’s primary responsibility. This year, promotion for human-centered traffic safety has been brought to a broader scale, and the organizers will explore the issue more deeply. The effort now includes many activities, such as book exhibition tours, mobile library vehicles, storytelling groups, and popular science-themed reading activities. In addition to expanding the program, these activities also help deepen educational promotion regarding the issue. All the parties involved contribute their expertise to ensure that knowledge of road traffic operations is spread to every corner of Kaohsiung City via schools and branch libraries.

The first-ever launched “Road Traffic-Themed Book Exhibition Tour” series comprises 40 book exhibitions and 20 events over 40 branch libraries in Kaohsiung. These book exhibitions will adopt the themes “Stop, Look, and Listen for Safe Trips,” “Tools for Road Traffic Safety,” “Beautiful Views on the Road,” and “Special Road Traffic Picture Books,” displaying a total of 150 books related to road traffic. In addition to the branch libraries’ activities, such as storytelling sessions and workshops, these events also embed the concept of human-centered traffic safety into the citizens’ daily lives. KPL invites parents and children to learn more about issues on road traffic through images and illustrations.

        Cianjin Elementary School students walked across the road from their school to the Lee Ko-Yung Memorial Library nearby. Their short journey was completed under the guidance and protection of the Lucky Deer My Way, a mascot for road traffic safety. At the Lee Ko-Yung Memorial Library, the students perused the library’s rich collection of books and participated in storytelling activities. From stories, they learned to understand the importance of human-centered traffic safety. The students happily likened picture books to different variations of vehicles that carried and took their imagination on a fun journey, allowing them to learn about the sights and sounds of the world.

Kaohsiung’s 38 administrative districts, 61 branch libraries, and resources for mobile libraries are the best platforms to promote human-centered traffic education in a friendly manner. KPL’s Acting Director Lin Yi-Cheng remarked that thanks to the cross-departmental efforts being implemented this year, KPL was able to utilize the combination of its library collection and boundless activities to invite readers of all ages to learn more about road traffic rules that exist in their daily lives. In addition, they also have the opportunity to experience the excitement of reading and traffic-related issues, increase their awareness of road traffic safety, and broaden their future imagination and perspectives on friendly road traffic in the everyday environment.

The first round of “Reading and Road Traffic, Hand in Hand” book exhibitions is held at KPL’s Dashu Third Branch, Mituo Park Branch, Caogong Branch in Fengshan, Zuoxin Branch, and Lee Ko-Yung Memorial Library. Starting from today until October, the branch libraries will host related book exhibitions, speeches, or workshops. By participating in such activities and acquiring various perspectives from picture books, visitors will better understand pedestrian and road traffic safety. Citizens are encouraged to take public transportation or walk to the nearest branch libraries, where KPL welcomes them to integrate the idea of “Hand in Hand” into their daily lives through reading.

Cianjin Elementary School students walked across the road from their school to the Lee Ko-Yung Memorial Library nearby. They walked under the guidance and protection of the Lucky Deer My Way, a mascot for road traffic safety.