Highway bus drivers will be fined NT$90,000 and have their drivers’ license suspended if they are responsible for accidents in which more than 10 passengers are injured or that lead to the death of more than three passengers, the Department of Railways and Highways said yesterday.
Aside from bus drivers, the department said that the bus company would also be held liable for the accidents.
The administrative authority of highways could impose a penalty of between NT$9,000 and NT$90,000.
Depending on the severity of the infraction, a bus company could also be forced to suspend all its operations.
The department said it had set specific standards to determine the penalties for various types of accidents, as the administrative authority has had problems delivering consistent rulings.
DIFFERENTIATED
It has differentiated between general traffic accidents and major traffic accidents.
In each category, the penalty is set based on the number of deaths and injuries in each accident and the driver’s record of violations.
First-time offenders, for example, will be required to pay NT$10,000 if the accident results in injuries to two passengers.
The department said that these standards were administrative orders, which can be executed without getting the approval of the Legislative Yuan.
AMENDMENT
In related news, the department has also drafted an amendment to the Railway Law (鐵路法), which would substantially increase the penalty for misbehavior by passengers.
Dangerous behavior such as jumping off a train before it comes to a complete stop would now be punishable with a fine of NT$7,500, up from NT$1,500.
Passengers bringing pets on board without securing prior approval or following any specific regulation, smoking in non-smoking sections, or littering could be fined between NT$1,500 and NT$7,500.
In the past, fines were between NT$300 and NT$3,000.
The new penalties will have to be approved by the Legislative Yuan before they can come into force.
REJECTED
Yesterday, the department also rejected a proposal by the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) that suggested setting a different rate for passengers who choose to share a cab departing from THSRC stations.
The company said the proposal was meant to encourage more service operators to dispatch more taxis to the THSRC stations to help transport passengers.
The department, however, said the cab fare should not be different because of the carpool system.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS