Make way for emergency vehicles or you may have your driver’s license revoked.
Lawmakers yesterday passed an amendment that would impose a one-year driving ban on motorists who do not yield to an ambulance, a fire truck, a police vehicle or other emergency vehicles with their sirens on.
The one-year ban is a substantial increase from the current three-month prohibition.
After completing the 12-month prohibition, motorists will have to retake their driving test to get a new driver’s license.
Aside from the driving ban, the offending motorist is to be fined NT$3,600 fine, up from the current maximum penalty of NT$1,800.
The new measures are to take effect in August.
The Legislative Yuan decided to get tough after at least two high-profile cases in which motorists who refused to budge were caught on tape by ambulances’ dashboard cameras.
The two cases received prominent coverage in the media, which forced the offenders to apologize in public.
In other news, lawmakers across party lines on Monday agreed to allow migrant workers and disadvantaged foreign spouses to apply for government assistance for lawsuits or legal counseling.
In a preliminary review of amendments to the Legal Aid Act (法律扶助法), lawmakers on the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee reached consensus on clauses that would allow foreign fishery workers, caregivers and domestic helpers to apply to the government-funded Legal Aid Foundation for help with lawsuits or legal counseling.
The amendments also apply to disadvantaged foreign spouses who do not have Republic of China citizenship, or those who have been naturalized, but do not yet have household registrations.
The act currently defines those who are allowed to apply for aid as low-income households under the Public Assistance Act (社會救助法) or individuals whose monthly disposable income is below a level determined by the foundation.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) said the amendments would save foundation staff from the hassle of obtaining information on the families of migrant workers to determine their financial capabilities.
Instead, the amendments would specify that reviewers are to judge applicants’ claims on their financial situations without the need for information on their family, the legislator said.
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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