Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) The first provincial highway service area in Taiwan was inaugurated Sunday in Yunlin County, as part of a central government initiative to attract more visitors to remote townships.
The opening ceremony for the service center, which lies at the 246-kilometer mark along Provincial Highway No. 61 in Kouhu Township, was hosted by Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung.
"Although it is small, it's fully equipped," Lin said at the ceremony, pointing out that the facilities at the Kouhu Service Area include a parking lot, restrooms, and a food and drink outlet.
There is also a farmers' market, where agricultural products from Kouhu Township are sold, Lin said, expressing the hope that the new service area would help bring more visitors to the township to boost its tourism and economy.
Provincial Highway No. 61, also known as the West Coast Expressway, runs from Tamsui in New Taipei to Qiqu in Tainan.
Late last year, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications revised the regulations governing the management of facilities along freeways to allow service areas on provincial highways for the first time, according to Lin.
The Directorate General of Highways is currently looking at the possibility of building 13 rest areas along provincial highways in 10 counties and cities across Taiwan, Lin said.
