Government-run public centers have become a popular choice of accommodation for tourists due to their relatively low prices, but more than 60 percent failed to pass a recent safety assessment conducted by the Department of Consumer Protection.
The agency inspected a total of 21 public centers in eight cities and counties — Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Hualien, Taitung and Penghu counties — in January and February.
The centers were mainly police reception centers, teachers’ hostels, labor recreation centers and armed forces “hero houses.”
They were inspected for structural integrity, fire safety, and food safety and hygiene.
“In terms of fire safety, six of the inspected sites did not conform to national standards and regulations, including Tainan’s Labor Recreation Center, whose fire hose was timeworn and leaked water, and thus could impede fire extinguishing efforts; and Taitung’s police reception center, whose smoke detector and emergency lighting malfunctioned,” consumer ombudsman Wang Teh-ming (王德明) told a press conference in Taipei.
Wang said the other four establishments were found to have either expired fire extinguishers, ill-designed escape slings or carpets, or curtains that were not flame-resistant.
The above facilities were asked to make necessary improvements within a statutory period, or face a fine ranging between NT$6,000 and NT$30,000 (US$200 and US$1,000), Wang said.
As for structural security, Wang said eight establishments failed the inspections, with four cited for severe irregularities for having substandard emergency exits and escape routes.
The four were Chiayi’s Labor Recreation Center, the Taitung Hotel for Teachers and Public Workers, Tainan’s Labor Recreation Center and Taichung’s Armed Forces Hero House.
“Most concerning is that the door to the rooftop of Taichung’s Armed Forces Hero House was deadlocked by a digital lock, which could hinder escape in the event of an emergency,” Wang said.
Consumer ombudsman Liang Ming-chun (梁明圳) said eight of the 21 centers inspected were equipped with a kitchen, of which seven contravened food safety regulations.
“We discovered expired goods in four of the kitchens, including a bottle of apple vinegar at Taichung’s Armed Forces Hero House that expired one year and seven months ago; butter and French mustard that were past their expiry dates by three days and eight months respectively at the Taitung Hotel for Teachers and Public Workers; curry powder and bean paste that expired six months and 10 months ago respectively at the Dong Hwas University Guest House; and beef powder at Tainan’s Zenda Suites that were six months past their expiration dates,” Liang said.
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