A Taipei city bus crashed into a covered walkway in Xinyi District (信義) on Wednesday, injuring two people and incurring a NT$30,000 fine for the bus operator, the city government said.
Taipei emergency responders at 12:11pm received notice of a Xinyi Main Line bus bound for Taipei Railway Station crashing into the covered walkway outside a hot pot restaurant on Zhongpo S Road.
Two pedestrians sustained bruises and lacerations to the head and feet respectively, while no one at the restaurant or in the bus was harmed.
Photo copied by Chiu Chun-fu, Taipei Times
A city official in charge of public transportation oversight told reporters that the driver had not been drinking alcohol, and had been working for about five hours after having a day off the previous day.
As the crash resulted in injuries, the bus operator, Capital Bus, would be fined NT$30,000 and required to submit an accident report as stipulated in the Highway Act (公路法), the official said.
Capital Bus general manager Lee Chien-wen (李建文) said that the driver reported feeling dizzy and having difficulty breathing at the time of the crash, adding that the company would help arrange for a medical evaluation.
Lee also apologized to the injured pedestrians and owners of the restaurant and the building, vowing to pay for damages.
Meanwhile, engineers determined there was no significant damage to the building, the Taipei City Government said, adding that the bus would be towed after the rain cover and billboards are removed.
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