Highway bus drivers will be fined NT$90,000 and have their drivers’ license suspended if they are responsible for accidents in which more than 10 passengers are injured or that lead to the death of more than three passengers, the Department of Railways and Highways said yesterday.
Aside from bus drivers, the department said that the bus company would also be held liable for the accidents.
The administrative authority of highways could impose a penalty of between NT$9,000 and NT$90,000.
Depending on the severity of the infraction, a bus company could also be forced to suspend all its operations.
The department said it had set specific standards to determine the penalties for various types of accidents, as the administrative authority has had problems delivering consistent rulings.
DIFFERENTIATED
It has differentiated between general traffic accidents and major traffic accidents.
In each category, the penalty is set based on the number of deaths and injuries in each accident and the driver’s record of violations.
First-time offenders, for example, will be required to pay NT$10,000 if the accident results in injuries to two passengers.
The department said that these standards were administrative orders, which can be executed without getting the approval of the Legislative Yuan.
AMENDMENT
In related news, the department has also drafted an amendment to the Railway Law (鐵路法), which would substantially increase the penalty for misbehavior by passengers.
Dangerous behavior such as jumping off a train before it comes to a complete stop would now be punishable with a fine of NT$7,500, up from NT$1,500.
Passengers bringing pets on board without securing prior approval or following any specific regulation, smoking in non-smoking sections, or littering could be fined between NT$1,500 and NT$7,500.
In the past, fines were between NT$300 and NT$3,000.
The new penalties will have to be approved by the Legislative Yuan before they can come into force.
REJECTED
Yesterday, the department also rejected a proposal by the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) that suggested setting a different rate for passengers who choose to share a cab departing from THSRC stations.
The company said the proposal was meant to encourage more service operators to dispatch more taxis to the THSRC stations to help transport passengers.
The department, however, said the cab fare should not be different because of the carpool system.
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