ROAD SAFETY/8 pedestrians killed in 13 Greater Taipei bus accidents in 5 years

Taipei, Nov. 18 (CNA) Eight pedestrians were killed in 13 fatal city bus accidents in Taipei and New Taipei from 2019-2023, due mainly to drivers failing to yield or stop at pedestrian crossings, according to tallies released by the two local governments on Monday.

In the capital Taipei, 1,259 traffic accidents involving city buses resulted in eight deaths and 601 people being injured in the five-year period, statistics compiled by the Taipei City Public Transportation Office showed.

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In 2023 alone, there were 345 such traffic accidents, nearly 30 percent of the total, while 2020 saw the highest number of fatalities and injuries at four and 145, respectively, the figures indicated.

Of the eight fatalities, five were pedestrians who based on law enforcement investigations and court rulings, lost their lives due to bus drivers failing to yield or notice vehicles in front of them, according to the municipal statistics.

Meanwhile, the three others fatalities occurred when drivers failed to turn in accordance with regulations or braked too hard.

In neighboring New Taipei, city bus drivers were found responsible for 1,568 traffic accidents that left five people dead, including three pedestrians, and 619 injured over the same five-year period, according to New Taipei government figures.

In 2023, the most populous city in Taiwan had the highest number of deaths and injuries caused by city buses in the 2019-2023 period, with three and 190, respectively, the tallies showed.

Three of the five fatalities in New Taipei were all pedestrians who were hit by city buses found to have been speeding while crossing pedestrian crossings or failing to give way.

The publication of fatality and injury numbers involving buses in the two major cities in northern Taiwan came one day after a female pedestrian was killed after being trapped under one of two buses that collided in downtown Taipei.

Fifteen another people were injured in the collision, including eight Thai tourists.

The deadly accident was major news across Taiwan as in recent years the country has been dubbed a "living hell for pedestrians" by foreign media.