TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT New Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) on Tuesday proposed easing rules for adding elevators to older apartment buildings, saying too many elderly residents in aging walk-ups remain effectively trapped at home.
Lee said the city has about 1 million homes over 30 years old, and large-scale urban renewal will not move fast enough to solve daily access problems for seniors, per CNA.
He argued that money is not the only obstacle. While subsidies already exist for elevator additions, many cases stall before construction begins. Lee said one problem is the paperwork tied to permit applications. Another is that first-floor residents often do not want to share costs for equipment they have little reason to use.
His proposed fix is to press the central government to relax the rules for barrier-free elevators, which would simplify the permitting process. He also said the matter of first-floor participation would need to be addressed but did not specify how.
Lee framed the proposal as both an aging-society issue and a family-care issue. Easier elevator access, he said, would help older residents leave their homes more freely and reduce pressure on caregivers, per the report.
