Operator fined after woman trapped in bus door, dragged down street

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) San Chung Bus Co., which operates some of Taipei's city buses, will be fined NT$69,000 (US$2,090) for an incident Monday in which a woman became trapped in a bus door and was dragged down the street near Taipei Main Station.

The incident occurred Monday night at around 8:15 p.m., when the No. 265 route bus stopped in front of Taipei Main Station on Zhongxiao West Road, Section 1.

Surveillance video footage shows that a 38-year-old woman, surnamed Chou (周), appears to get her clothing caught in the bus' middle door.

As the bus begins to leave, Chou is seen being dragged along the ground, halfway under the bus, for 20-30 meters as people at the bus stop frantically gesture to get the bus driver's attention.

Chou suffered scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs, while the driver of the bus, a woman surnamed Chu (朱), told police on Tuesday that she "hadn't noticed" a passenger was stuck in the door.

In a statement Wednesday, the Taipei City Public Transportation Office said it had fined San Chung Bus Co. NT$9,000 under the Highway Act for not reporting the incident, as well as a "harsh" NT$60,000 fine for failing to "fulfill its responsibilities."

The transport office said it had also ordered the bus operator to cover Chou's medical expenses and to pay her compensation for the ordeal.

The city government will also step up training for bus drivers to ensure they are following safety protocols, including making sure that passengers are fully on or off the bus before closing the doors and driving away, the statement said.