Dead passenger found on bus days after boarding; operator fined

New Taipei, Sept. 28 (CNA) A man was found dead on a bus in New Taipei on Sunday, several days after he boarded, and the bus operator has been fined, according to authorities.

The Taipei City government told CNA Sunday that after an initial investigation of the incident, its Public Transportation Office has fined the bus operator Sindian Bus NT$30,000 (US$943.93).

Also on Sunday, Sindian Bus issued a statement, saying that at around 7 a.m. that day, a passenger who boarded in New Taipei's Xindian District reported to the driver that a man on the bus appeared to be unconscious. The driver then called the police and emergency services, the operator said.

The New Taipei City Police Department's Xindian Precinct also issued a statement on Sunday, saying that when authorities arrived on the scene, it was clear that the man was dead.

A forensic examination found no signs of trauma and ruled out foul play for the time being, police said, adding that the Taipei District Prosecutors Office has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Police said their initial investigation found that the man had boarded the bus at around 8:40 p.m. Thursday at the Qingtan Parking Lot stop in Xindian.

The bus, which runs in Taipei and New Taipei, returned to its terminal in Xindian at around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, with the man still aboard, police said.

Surveillance footage showed that the bus remained at the terminal until Sunday morning, when it departed at 6:45 a.m. with the same driver, surnamed Chen (陳), according to police.

In the bus company's statement, Sindian Bus President Kao Tsan-huang (高燦煌) said that video footage from inside the bus showed the driver looking back on Thursday night before getting off and closing the door at the terminal, but failing to notice the man.

After the bus was parked at the terminal Thursday night, it did not resume service again until Sunday morning, because of the long Moon Festival weekend, which began Friday, Kao said.

Chen only learned that the man was still on the bus after the passenger reported the incident Sunday morning, Kao added.

The company will cooperate with the police investigation and will strengthen training for its drivers to ensure that they check the buses properly before parking them at the end of the day, Kao said.

Meanwhile, Chen has been suspended from driving duties for failing to follow the proper procedure for clearing the bus, the company said. In addition, he may have suffered some trauma as a result of the incident and should not be on driving duty right now, it said.

In the statement, Kao said the bus will be safe to ride when it resumes service, as it will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Kuo Chien-chen (郭建辰), an official at the Taipei City Public Transportation Office, told CNA on Sunday that under his office's regulations, bus operators are required to train their drivers to clear their buses properly at the end of their service routes.

The office has fined Sindian Bus NT$30,000 for failing to fulfill its managerial responsibilities in connection with the incident, Kuo said, adding that the penalty was imposed in accordance with the Highway Act.