ROAD SAFETY/Advocacy group calls for stricter licensing after fatal bus collision

Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) A road safety advocacy group on Sunday called for reforms to Taiwan's driver licensing and retraining system after a pedestrian was killed and 15 other people were injured in a two-bus collision in Taipei.

"Taiwan's driver's licenses are among the easiest to obtain in the world, and there is no mandatory retraining system for drivers," Taiwan Vision Zero Alliance, a group pushing to reduce pedestrian fatalities, said in a news release.

The alliance said that under current regulations, individuals who have held a standard car driver's license for two years and have completed a driver training course are eligible to take a test to obtain a commercial bus driver's license, putting inexperienced bus drivers on the road and endangering vulnerable road users.

The group said it had previously submitted a report to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, urging the government to reform its driver licensing and retraining systems.

According to the alliance, the report identified key issues, including overly rigid and outdated driving exams and the difference between actual and simulated driving conditions.

The report also noted the potential conflict of interest arising from driving instructors doubling as license examiners, the alliance said.

The group issued its statement hours after a fatal bus collision in Taipei's Zhongzheng District on Sunday, in which a Route 213 city bus driven by a 23-year-old woman surnamed Hsieh (謝) rear-ended a Route 49 city bus stopped at an intersection to allow pedestrians to cross the street.

The collision caused the Route 49 city bus to lurch forward, hitting and killing a 50-year-old pedestrian. The driver of the Route 49 bus and 14 passengers also sustained minor injuries in the crash.

The group noted that the incident coincided with World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The alliance had planned to hold a vigil Sunday evening to honor lives lost to traffic accidents and urge the government to fulfill its promises of implementing traffic safety reforms to prevent future tragedies.

"It is deeply regrettable that on such a solemn day, a severe and fatal accident occurred near the event site," the alliance said.

The group also slammed the Taipei City Government and bus companies for perceived poor management.

The city government has been promoting the "pointing and calling" safety protocol at intersections for years, the group said, referring to a policy that asks bus drivers making a right turn at an intersection to stop their buses, point to the left, front and right and verbally confirm that no pedestrians are in these directions before proceeding.

However, individual drivers may have failed to comply with this practice or maintain safe driving distances, the group said.

Moreover, poor working conditions created by long shifts and low wages can also contribute to driver fatigue, the group added.

The alliance urged bus operators to conduct a thorough review and strengthen driver management and education, calling on the "resource-rich Taipei City" to more rigorously supervise public transport operators to ensure road safety.