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.
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