TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC, 交通部) announced in July that all 14,000 tour buses in Taiwan must install Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) by June 1, 2025. This decision aims to enhance tour bus safety and reduce traffic accidents. Non-compliance could result in fines of up to NT$90,000.
ADAS records driver work hours and speed, transmitting real-time data to a monitoring system. This technology alerts authorities to irregularities, improving passenger safety.
Lu Kuo-ching (盧國慶), a tour bus driver, explained that drivers must log in by placing their license on a sensor that records all driving activities. He noted that his company has installed various safety technologies, including dashcams, lane departure warning systems, and an anti-sleep driving alarm.
Lu further mentioned that the lack of clear regulations on work hours previously led to drivers working late into the night without increased pay. Chiou Yu-chiun (邱裕鈞), a professor at National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University (陽明交大), emphasized that managing hours for non-scheduled tour buses is challenging. He stated that driver fatigue is a significant cause of accidents, and this system could ensure drivers operate in better physical and mental conditions.
Lu Hsiao-ya (魯孝亞), chairman of the National Joint Association of Bus for Tourists (遊覽車客運商業同業公會), highlighted that technological management of work hours protects both operators and drivers.
Experts agree that while fatigued driving remains a leading cause of accidents, the new system safeguards road safety and potentially eliminates unscrupulous operators from the market.
Despite these benefits and the endorsement of experts, some companies worry that the system may further decrease their income, especially as domestic tourism declines and more people opt for international travel.