Shin-Shin Bus Co chairman Fan Ta-wei (范大維) resigned yesterday after one of the company’s buses struck and killed a doctor at a crosswalk in Taipei the previous day.
During a news conference, Fan publicly apologized and announced that the company would take full responsibility for the incident.
The victim, 60-year-old Chou Chia-cheng (周佳正), was the head of the breast surgery department at Taoyuan General Hospital. Chou, who had the right of way, was hit by a bus making a legal left turn from Roosevelt Road onto Aiguo W Road and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Photo: Chen Yi-shan, Taipei Times
Fan said that the 63-year-old bus driver, surnamed Lee (李), had nearly 20 years of experience and a clean record, although he had previously been reprimanded for skipping bus stops. Lee retired in March, but was rehired in May.
Fan said that the crash might have occurred due to Lee’s failure to stop and perform a required “point-and-call” safety check before turning. This protocol mandates that drivers come to a full stop and use hand gestures to visually confirm that the path is clear of pedestrians or obstacles.
Police said Lee was not under the influence of alcohol, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Prosecutors released Lee on NT$50,000 bail after questioning him on Saturday on suspicion of negligent homicide.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said that he has requested bus operators to propose improvement measures and instructed transportation officials to reassess the safety features of the intersection where the fatal incident occurred.
Chiang said that the focus would be on the area near Roosevelt Road and the northwest side of Aiguo W Road, exploring the feasibility of moving the crosswalk further from the junction to improve visibility and safety.
Transportation officials said they would review pedestrian signal timings and install countdown timers and pedestrian refuge islands at the 75m intersection where the incident took place.
Advocacy group Vision Zero Taiwan urged the city to mandate that all buses be equipped with blind-spot detection and automatic emergency braking systems.
The group also called for revisions to traffic regulations to remove vague language that might shift responsibility onto pedestrians.
Taoyuan General Hospital released a statement mourning Chou’s death, describing him as a skilled and compassionate surgeon whose passing is an irreplaceable loss to the hospital.
The hospital praised his long-standing dedication to breast cancer surgery and his significant contributions to advancing the surgical department and the acute trauma medical team.
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