Taipei City Councilor Lin Yi-hua (
Showing videotapes secretly filmed by her assistants, KMT Councilor Lin said yesterday that many long-distance bus companies boasting of "first-class service" provide not only spacious seats but also massage services and movies with racy content.
"They usually show violent movies during the day and pornographic films in the evening. Passengers, including teenagers, usually see the movies without many alternative choices," she said.
According to Lin, at least three bus companies provide such services. They are the Dragon Bus Co (
"While Dragon has four to six television sets installed on each bus, Aloha and Ho Hsin have individual TV sets mounted on the seat for passengers' convenience and one pornography channel available," Lin said.
Chen Chin-sheng (陳金盛), the secretary-general of the city's Bureau of Transportation (交通局), said although the bureau hates to see such activities carried out, it was beyond the bureau's jurisdiction and responsibility to crackdown.
"Our inspectors have not yet discovered such activities. Even if we do, we're not in a position to do anything about it," he said.
Chen, however, has promised to take the initiative to team up with the police to help tackle the situation.
Chen Cheng-hung (
The Criminal Code stipulates that those who show restricted movies in public areas violate the code by undermining public morality or intruding on privacy.
Those who show such movies to those under the age of 18 are violating the Child and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act (
The Broadcasting and Television Law (
Violators face the confiscation of films and fines of up to NT$600,000.
Chiu Peng-hsin (邱蓬新), first section chief of the city's Department of Information (新聞處), said the department will try to make an effort to include the showing of movies on passenger buses in the Broadcasting and Television Law.
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