Parents are encouraged to buy bicycles certified as safe by the government if they are to carry children on them, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, one year after an amendment to Article 76 of the Road Traffic and Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) was implemented.
The amendment requires cyclists, who must be 18 years of age or older, to carry no more than one child while cycling, adding that they must ride bicycles or electric power-auxiliary bicycles that are certified by the government to be safe.
The rules also state that a child’s seat installed at the front of a bicycle should be used for children aged one to four and weighing less than 15kg, while a seat at the rear should be used for children aged one to six and weighing less than 22kg.
Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei Times
Cyclists contravening the rules would face a fine of NT$300 to NT$600, the act says.
Bicycles to carry children should have passed the TBIS007 safety inspection, the ministry said.
The Vehicle Safety Certification Center is designated by the ministry to issue certification labels for bicycles that pass the inspection, it said, adding that the labels should be visible on bikes as well as child seats.
Child safety seats to be installed on bicycles should also pass Taiwan’s CNS15978 national safety standard, the ministry said.
Two types of bicycles, two types of electric power-auxiliary bicycles and six types of child seats have passed national safety inspections after the amendment to the act was implemented on March 1 last year, Department of Railways and Highways Director-General Chen Wen-ruey (陳文瑞) said.
That means there are 24 combinations of bike and seat, he said, adding that the information on certified bicycles and seats can be viewed on the center’s Web site at www.vscc.org.tw.
So far, the center has issued only 1,500 certification labels, which means that the ministry should spend more time promoting the use of safe bicycles among parents with children, Chen said.
All of the certified bicycles are made by Taiwanese manufacturer Giant, with prices ranging from NT$7,000 to NT$40,000.
Certified seats are made by Bobike and Irbani, with costs varying from NT$3,000 to NT$8,000.
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