The Taipei High Administrative Court has ordered the Taipei City Government to compensate Kuo-Kuang Motor Transportation Co for tearing down its Western Bus Terminal near Taipei Railway Station in 2016.
Two of Kuo-Kuang’s buildings at the terminal were demolished in November 2016 and turned into the public Taipei Travel Plaza in 2017 as part of the city’s West District Gateway Project.
After the city refused to compensate the company and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications dismissed the bus operator’s appeal, it filed an administrative proceeding against the city.
The city government originally allocated about NT$52 million (US$1.76 million) to pay the company, which the Taipei City Council approved, but the city’s Department of Legal Affairs said there was no legal basis to compensate Kuo-Kuang.
The court on June 30 ruled in favor of the bus company, saying that the city government has to pay it NT$32.3 million.
Asked about the ruling, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that an ad hoc task force would deal with the matter, adding that the contract was not signed by him.
Regarding the fairness of the ruling, he said: “No matter if it is fair or not, once the ruling is decided, we have to make a decision on whether we want to appeal it or how we can settle it if we decide not to appeal.”
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