None of the businesses in Taiwan offering “unpowered flight” experiences passed inspections by the Sports Administration, the Consumer Protection Committee said yesterday.
There are 13 such businesses in the nation — two in New Taipei City, one in Yilan County, five in Hualien County, two in Nantou County, two in Taitung County and one in Pingtung County, the committee said.
The committee requested that the inspections be performed due to the potential risks to consumers posed by such activities, committee official Wang Shu-hui (王淑慧) said, adding that “unpowered flight” accidents often result in serious injuries.
Photo: CNA
The inspections were performed from June to November last year by experts, local government officials and consumer protection officials chosen by the Sports Administration, said Wang Li-heng (王力恆), an official in the agency’s Sports for All Division.
They inspected 23 items in four categories: facilities and equipment, flight space management, emergency response capabilities and administrative tasks, Wang Li-heng said.
All 13 businesses met the regulations for flight space and range, facilities, equipment and insurance, the agency said.
However, six business had not established management systems and three had not drafted emergency rescue plans and did not offer indemnity contracts, the agency found.
One Hualien-based company was unable to provide information for six inspection items, and did not completely meet the requirements for two of them, it found.
The Sports Administration said that it has since asked businesses to make improvements where needed.
Last year, more than 20,000 people in Taiwan participated in “unpowered flight” activities through a company, Wang Li-heng said, adding there were no major accidents.
However, considering that legislation is relatively slow and there is no legal basis for adding penalties to existing regulations, the agency is working with local governments to draft ordinances that include penalties as soon as possible, he said.
Only Pingtung has comprehensive regulations for “unpowered flight” activities, he said, adding that the agency hopes that other local governments would use Pingtung’s self-government ordinance as an example and draft their own regulations.
Committee Deputy Director Wu Cheng-hsueh (吳政學) said local governments that have yet to set self-government ordinances can use Article 33 of the Consumer Protection Act (消費者保護法) to conduct inspections.
Under Article 36 of the act, they may ask businesses to make changes within a limited period, he said, adding that under Article 58, fines of NT$60,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$2,004 to US$50,097) can be imposed.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS