Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp on Friday announced proposals to improve its protocols after an MRT train crashed into a fallen construction boom, killing a passenger.
On Wednesday last week, a boom separated from a crane atop a residential building under construction near the Feng-le Park MRT Station in Nantun District (南屯), falling 31 stories onto the tracks shortly before the Green Line train departed from the station and ran into the metal wreckage.
Legal academic and indigenous rights advocate Lin Shu-ya (林淑雅) was killed and 10 people were injured.
Photo courtesy of Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp via CNA
Taichung MRT proposed three changes to its protocols together with the introduction of two potential hardware updates.
The first change would enhance and standardize its emergency alert hand signals, it said.
If a station employee witnesses a potential accident, they would be required to raise and cross their arms to form an “x” to warn employees on the train, giving them time to contact the system’s operation center and request that the train be stopped.
The second proposal is to encourage passengers who witness an accident to prevent the doors from closing, which would stop the train from leaving the station.
The third proposal would seek to ensure that Taichung MRT employees on trains can readily access their tool bags so it would be easier to stop the train.
Two hardware updates are also to be introduced, including emergency buttons in stations and smart detection devices that are better at recognizing obstacles than existing equipment, the company said.
Lin was discovered underneath a train car about 51 minutes after the collision occurred.
The train ran into the boom at 12:27pm, prompting MRT employees to evacuate passengers and help the injured at 12:58pm.
Company president Chuang Ming-tsung (莊明璁) said that Lin was not discovered for nearly an hour because the company’s standard operating procedures require employees to search the inside of cars once an emergency occurs and the doors open.
Current procedures do not include searching the outside and underneath the train cars, Chuang said, adding that the company would meet to discuss changing the procedure.
The Taiwan Bar Association on Saturday released a joint statement to convey their condolences at losing a distinguished colleague and suggested improvements to public safety procedures.
The association said that companies should employ impartial third-party experts to inspect construction sites using large-scale machinery.
It also said that traffic restrictions should be implemented in areas where construction work is occurring to allow for easy access for first responders in the event of an accident.
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