Advocates yesterday called for changes in regulations allowing guide dogs onto public transport systems.
"The law permits free and unconditional entrance of guide dogs into public transport systems," Monica Tsai (
Article 51-1 of the Physically and Mentally Disabled Citizens Protection Act states that guide dogs, whether qualified or still in training, are allowed to "enter and leave without any restriction public places, public buildings, business ground, public transportation means and other public establishments." Persons in charge of such places cannot "reject their free coming and going or attach other conditions," according to the law.
PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Guide dogs are only allowed into high speed rail stations when accompanied by a guide dog instructor, certified by a training institution, with permission of the THSRC, according to the company's Web site.
"How do we find information and fill out application forms when most of us cannot even see?" Chi Wen-cheng, a guide dog user, said.
"Limiting guide dogs in any way, is violating guide dog users' right of free movement," Joanna Lei (
"It has always been a priority for us to provide assistance to mentally and physically disabled individuals," said Chang Chen-yi (
"The THSRC will certainly act according to the law," Richard Lo, senior specialist for public affairs at the company, told the press conference. "We will also change the mistaken statement on our Web site."
Similar accusations were made at the press conference about services operated by the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA).
"TRA has allowed guide dogs into stations and on trains for years," Lu Chieh-sheng (鹿潔身), deputy division director of the administration said. "There may have been occasional misunderstandings but we will improve the situation through further employee training."
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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