ROAD SAFETY/License of bus operator involved in fatal Taichung accident suspended

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) The Taichung City Government announced Friday that it will suspend one of the route operating licenses of Geya Bus Transport Co., Ltd. for three months, following a fatal accident involving one of its drivers in the central city on Sept. 22.

Apart from fining Geya and recalling its 1,300 drivers for retraining after the accident, which left one dead and one injured, the Taichung Transportation Bureau will suspend Geya's operating license for the No. 300 city bus route -- the company's most profitable route -- for three months, according to a news release issued by the city government.

Starting from Saturday, Ubus and Taichung Bus, the other bus operators that hold operating licenses for the No. 300 city bus route, will run the service between Providence University and Taichung Railway Station.

The city government added that if Geya fails to make the necessary improvements within the three-month period or commits another major violation, the company's operating license for No. 300 city bus route will be revoked permanently. In addition, the possibility of revoking Geya's licenses for other high-revenue routes has not been ruled out.

Earlier on Friday, Geya held a press conference to explain the accident and apologize to the victims' families.

At 9:13 p.m. on Sept. 22, the No. 305 city bus involved in the accident stopped at a red light on Luchuan East Street, then made a left turn onto Zhongshan Road at a speed of around 15 kilometers per hour after the light turned green, said Geya's spokesperson Han Hung-kai (韓洪開).

The driver, surnamed Shih (施), did not stop to check for pedestrians before the turn, failed to notice two people crossing in front of the bus and as a result ran into them, Han added.

A 20-year-old woman surnamed Lin (林) was killed and a 21-year-old woman surnamed Wang (王) injured, both undergraduate students at Tunghai University in Taichung.

Geya said that it acknowledged the need for a review of its management practices and driving safety standards, noting that all of its drivers were recalled for a thorough review as a way to reaffirm its commitment to improving safety.

The company also added that it would like to express its deepest apology to the victims' families and pledged to take full responsibility for the accident.

As part of its response, Geya proposed four safety improvement plans for its drivers, including increasing road safety education, strengthening monitoring and inspections, enhancing training in the use of driving safety assistance systems, and enforcing strict penalties for safety violations, such as the dismissal of unfit drivers.

Asked about another fatal accident that Shih was involved in 13 years ago, Geya admitted that the company was unaware of the earlier accident, acknowledging it to an oversight by the company but denying any intent to conceal such information.

In the previous accident, Shih's collided with a scooter that cut in front of his bus, according to Geya.

Shih was found to have been speeding, which was a secondary cause of the accident, accounting for 30 percent of the responsibility, while the scooter's sudden cut-in was the primary cause, accounting for the rest of the responsibility, Geya noted.

Shih received a suspended sentence but did not have his driver's license revoked, the bus operator said, adding that Shih, who has worked for Geya since 2009, had consistently passed the routine retraining required by the Highway Bureau.