The China Post
Date: August 26, 2016
By: Sun Hsin Hsuan
Bus drivers blocked traffic and clashed with police officers at the Transportation Ministry (MOTC) on
More than 200 buses circulated the Transportation Ministry on Thursday, Aug. 25. Drivers protested against the government for “laying blame on the bus industry” following a deadly bus fire in July. Bus drivers stalled traffic around the ministry building. (CNA)
Thursday morning, as they accused the government of damaging their industry’s reputation.
Traffic near the MOTC was stalled for almost an hour, beginning at around 09:30 a.m., when more than 200 coaches began to circle the block.
Organized by the New Taipei City Bus Drivers Labor Union, more than 400 drivers protested what they called defamation against the bus industry. The industry took a dive in July and has yet to rebound.
A July 19 bus fire killed all 26 passengers on board a tour bus, including 24 mainland Chinese, after the bus crashed into the outer edge of a guard rail on National Highway 2.
Though the latest evidence points to possible suicide or homicide by the driver, Transportation Minister Ho Chen Tan maintained that “hardware failure” is a partial cause of the tragedy.
A Directorate General of Highways report, released in July, said that more than 50 percent of buses examined by the agency did not meet safety standards. [FULL STORY]
