Tour Bus Collides with Roadside Tree: Transportation Safety Council Recommends Taipei City Government Strengthen Clearance Management

On the evening of March 3, 2025, a tour bus belonging to Guangchengtian Transportation Co., Ltd., carrying one driver, one service staff member, and 20 passengers, totaling 22 people, collided with a roadside tree on the sidewalk while traveling on the outer lane in front of No. 166, Section 2, Minquan East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City. The vehicle was damaged, and 21 people on board were injured.

Regarding the possible causes, the National Transportation Safety Council (NTSC) recently released an investigation report stating that the roadside tree was excessively leaning, resulting in insufficient road clearance, and the warning tapes tied to the tree had poor visibility. At the time of the accident, the driver's attention was affected by heavy surrounding traffic, and he did not anticipate potential obstacles above the lane, leading to a failure to detect and avoid the roadside tree in time.

The NTSC stated that after the Taipei City Parks and Greenery Office inspected the roadside trees, warning tapes were tied due to the leaning trees and insufficient road clearance, or trees were assessed as having high environmental public safety risks. However, vehicle collisions with roadside trees still occurred, indicating that the existing roadside tree inspection and tree safety assessment mechanisms are insufficient to effectively prevent situations of insufficient roadside tree clearance.

The NTSC pointed out that after adjusting the lanes on the accident section, parking spaces were located within the outer lane, and parking was prohibited during peak hours, making it a general vehicle driving area. With the outer lane line being too close to the sidewalk, vehicles would more easily approach the edge of the sidewalk when passing, increasing the risk of touching or colliding with roadside trees.

Furthermore, the NTSC stated that there were no abnormalities in the tires, steering system, or braking system of the accident vehicle, and the accident driver held a valid driver's license issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Directorate General of Highways. There was no evidence to suggest that the accident was related to driver fatigue or alcohol.

The NTSC recommended that when the Taipei City Government reconfigures or adjusts outer lanes, it should refer to the "Urban Road and Ancillary Engineering Design Standards" to review the safety clearance and height between lane lines and public facilities such as roadside trees, and prune roadside trees or adjust lane configurations as appropriate to reduce the risk of roadside tree collisions.

The NTSC also recommended strengthening the roadside tree clearance management mechanism, incorporating systematic road clearance inspections into inspection and tree safety assessment operations, and establishing necessary pruning guidelines and disposal procedures to prevent roadside trees from encroaching on lanes and causing insufficient road clearance. (Edited by Wu Su-jou) 1150408