Driver Without License Causes Bus Overturn; Hongzhou Transportation Faces Severe Penalties

(Central News Agency reporter Yu Xiaohan, Taipei, 8th) A medium-sized bus overturned on Provincial Highway 14 in the Wushe area of Ren'ai Township on the 7th. The Highway Bureau stated on the 8th that the bus was owned by Hongzhou Transportation, and the driver was driving without a license, a major violation. The company was fined NT$90,000, its business license was revoked, and all 20 of its vehicle registrations were canceled.

The 41-year-old male driver surnamed Zhang was driving a 21-seat medium-sized bus carrying 15 Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan on a flower-viewing trip to Hehuan Mountain on the 7th. While descending the mountain in the evening, at the 79-kilometer mark of Provincial Highway 14 in the Wushe area of Ren'ai Township, the bus hit a roadside decorative flower bed and overturned. The Nantou County Government Fire Bureau arrived at the scene for rescue. Triage indicated that 5 people had more obvious injuries, while the remaining 11 had no apparent external injuries and were sent to the hospital for examination.

The Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications told the media on the 8th that the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation by the police.

The Hsinchu District Office of the Highway Bureau conducted an audit of Hongzhou Transportation on the 8th. The Highway Bureau stated that the investigation found the accident vehicle was a commercial tour bus manufactured in 2021, with normal registration. Its last inspection was on May 4, 2026, and its next scheduled inspection date is September 20, 2026.

The Highway Bureau pointed out that the driver surnamed Zhang did not hold a professional driver's license and had a total of 99 unresolved violations, mainly for unpaid ETC fees and highway violations.

The Hsinchu District Office stated that the accident driver, who did not hold a professional large bus driver's license, still drove a tour bus carrying passengers and caused an accident resulting in injuries. This constitutes a major violation. According to Article 77, Paragraph 1 of the Highway Act, Article 86, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the Regulations for the Management of Automobile Transportation Industry, and Article 12 of the Discretionary Standards for Tour Bus Passenger Transport Operators Violating Article 77, Paragraph 1 and Article 47 of the Highway Act, assigning a driver who does not meet the qualifications to drive a tour bus, leading to an accident causing serious injury, results in a maximum fine of NT$90,000, revocation of Hongzhou Transportation's automobile transportation business license, and cancellation of all its operating vehicle registrations.

The Highway Bureau stated that it will ask the Hsinchu District Office to continue requiring Hongzhou Transportation to properly handle subsequent compensation matters for the injured. All district offices will again require all tour bus operators to hire drivers who meet the regulations, understand the road conditions before dispatching vehicles, and complete relevant pre-departure checks to ensure the safety of all passengers. (Editor: Guan Zhongwei) 1150608