Scooter riders know that manhole covers get slippery and dangerous when it rains.Taiwan’s highway authority is launching a campaign to make these metal hazards more skid resistant.This scooter rider zips over a manhole cover and takes a tumble, crashing into a mother pushing a stroller on the side of the street. Slippery manhole covers can be a serious hazard when it rains. And giant manhole covers like this can turn roads into an obstacle course.Member of the publicIt’s especially bad when it rains. If you’re riding fast, you could slip.Last July, the Directorate General of Highways raised its skid resistance specifications for road markings. It’s now about to tackle manhole covers. Starting September, all new manhole covers must have a skid resistance rating of 50 British pendulum number. Old manhole covers must be brought up to standard within three years. Lai Chia-shengDirectorate General of HighwaysWhen pipe crews come to us for excavation permits, we will take these standards we’ve reached and first apply them at these new work sites, as we promote this policy. We’re adopting the skid resistance standards used for road surface markings.But the change will come only to manhole covers on provincial highways, which are managed by the Directorate General of Highways. Whether downtown roads get new manhole covers will be up to local governments.
