By MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported
Following the tour bus accident involving the Butterfly Love Flower Travel Agency, public attention has been drawn to travel quality, as well as issues such as tour bus safety and driver fatigue. With the upcoming 228 long weekend being the first major travel peak, the Ministry of Transportation stated that the Tourism Bureau and the Directorate General of Highways have taken the following measures to ensure the safety of travel and tour buses, and to reassure the public for a safe holiday, including:
1. Strictly Review Travel Products
The Tourism Bureau, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, the Travel Quality Assurance Association of the Republic of China, and the Consumers' Foundation, will jointly review the appropriateness of one- and two-day tour products on the market. For travel itineraries with longer durations, drivers must be rotated and this must be disclosed in the itinerary. Other products deemed to have unreasonable pricing or routes will be directly requested to be removed from the market.
2. Recommend High-quality Services
The Directorate General of Highways has published a list of 41 tour bus operators that received excellent evaluations in two consecutive assessment periods, for consumers to refer to and choose from.
The tour bus rollover accident involving the Butterfly Love Flower Travel Agency has led relevant authorities and the general public to pay closer attention to domestic travel quality and traffic safety. (Photography / MOOK Scenic Spots Family, Chang Ying-ying)
3. Eliminate Poor Services
A total of 27 tour bus operators that received C or D grades in two consecutive evaluations by the Directorate General of Highways will have their future holiday itineraries and drivers strictly reviewed by the Tourism Bureau in conjunction with the Directorate General of Highways, to prevent substandard services from affecting public confidence.
4. Control Trips by Old Vehicles:
For tour buses over 10 years old, coordination with industry players and associations will use GPS to avoid having aged tour buses travel on mountain roads above an altitude of 500 meters.
5. Recall and Rigorously Inspect Old Vehicles
The Directorate General of Highways of the Ministry of Transportation will recall and conduct spot checks on 166 vehicles of the same model involved in the February 13 Guo 5 highway accident starting today. In addition, 5,157 older tour buses that have been in service before 1995 will be inspected within one month. Special targeted inspections will also be carried out on vehicles with issues such as body corrosion, poor seating, high numbers of violations, and those operated by companies with C or D grades in transport assessments.
6. Screen High-risk Drivers
The Directorate General of Highways will notify the respective tour bus companies or travel agencies regarding drivers with major or frequent violations, behavioral issues, or other circumstances that endanger consumer rights or safety, to reconsider whether to continue employing or cooperating with them.
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