Electric bus fire prompts safety checks in Taipei, New Taipei

Taipei, June 17 (CNA) Taipei and New Taipei authorities have stepped up safety inspections after an electric bus exploded into flames on Dunhua North Road in downtown Taipei Monday.

The fire broke out at 8:43 p.m. when a Metropolitan Transport Corp. Route 262 electric bus suddenly caught fire.

The driver, suspecting a battery failure, quickly pulled over.

All seven passengers were safely evacuated before the vehicle was engulfed in fire and smoke.

Later that day, Taipei's Public Transportation Office suspended operation of all 20 buses from the same batch used on Route 262.

The vehicles will remain off the road until their safety is assured, the office said.

Taipei transport official Chen Chun-hao (陳俊豪) told CNA on Tuesday that preliminary findings suggest battery malfunction as the cause.

To prevent further incidents, Chen said, Taipei has ordered a full inspection of 94 electric buses of the same model used by three other operators citywide by the end of Tuesday.

In total, Taipei operates 858 electric buses across nine companies, all of which must complete battery and charging system checks within three days, Chen said.

Meanwhile, New Taipei is inspecting 56 buses of the same model operating on Routes 640, 637, and 656.

The city has also instructed bus operators to enhance daily safety checks, inspect charging facilities, improve fire safety preparedness, and report any irregularities immediately.

Tainan and Kaohsiung also launched inspections of electric buses from the same manufacturer to prevent similar incidents.

RAC Electric Vehicles, which built the bus involved in the fire, said Tuesday the batteries were made in Japan, have no history of incidents, and meet EU ECE-R100-2 safety standards.

The company added that its technical team is cooperating with investigators.

RAC noted that all its products are covered by liability insurance and that the incident poses no significant financial impact. Still, the company's shares dropped more than 6 percent in trading on Tuesday.