Flying drones over the nation’s seaports without permission or operating them under the influence of alcohol or drugs is now punishable by a fine of up to NT$1.5 million (US$47,455) after the government last month began implementing amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法), the Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday.
The government has designated seaports as key infrastructure that must be protected at all times.
Supporting guidelines of the act regulate drone activities in specific areas of seaports: the ports of Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Suao, Anping, Budai, Magong, Kinmen and Matsu, the bureau said.
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Only drones operated by government agencies, and certain schools and legal entities are allowed in specific areas listed in the supporting guidelines, bureau Deputy Director-General Liu Chih-hung (劉志鴻) said.
The guidelines stipulate that applications for drone activities must be filed at least seven days ahead of the scheduled events, Liu said.
Government agencies or schools seeking to fly drones in seaports in Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Suao, Anping, Budai and Penghu should apply for permission from the Taiwan International Port Corp, while those seeking to fly drones in seaports in Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties must submit applications to the respective county governments, he said.
Under the new guidelines, drone operators are banned from engaging in behavior that endangers lives or risks damaging property, and cannot fly the devices while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he said.
They are also prohibited from racing drones or using drones to drop items or spray substances, Liu added.
Drone operators must be on high alert and keep the devices at least 30m from sea vessels and port facilities to ensure they do not compromise port safety, he said.
In addition to the act and supporting guidelines, drone operators must abide by the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) and Regulations of Drones (遙控無人機管理規則).
Prior to the amendments to the Commercial Port Act and supporting guidelines, drones were banned from seaports. The bureau recorded only one case in which a person was fined for flying a drone at a seaport without permission.
The amendments to the act raised the fine for flying drones without permission to NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million from NT$100,000 to NT$500,000, the bureau said.
So far, no breach of regulations has been recorded since the new regulations were implemented, it said.
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