Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) has launched a one-year pilot program to make the poles in subway cars easier to grip and more visible to prevent slips and falls, the company said Tuesday. The pilot program is being run in one train on the Danshui MRT line. Poles in the train's cars have been wrapped in a fluorescent orange rubber material that TRTC said provides a better grip for standing passengers. The color contrast with the rest of the car also makes the poles easier to see and will keep passengers from banging into them, TRTC said. The company is launching the test as part of an overall campaign to improve MRT safety, comfort and reliability started in 2006. Since then, train floors, seats and handrails on large-capacity MRT lines have been upgraded and public announcement systems improved. The most recent attempt to improve safety was based on methods in place in Hong Kong and Atlanta's subway systems, which have bright colored-rubber material on poles that produce strong visual contrasts. TRTC said that if the pilot program goes well, it will consider adhering the fluorescent rubber material to all poles on high-capacity lines. 