Taipei: The chairman of Shin-Shin Bus Co. resigned Sunday after one of the company’s buses tragically struck and killed a doctor at a crosswalk in Taipei the previous day. At a press conference, Chairman Fan Ta-wei expressed deep regret to the public, announced the company’s commitment to taking full responsibility for the incident, and declared his resignation.
According to Focus Taiwan, the victim, 60-year-old Chou Chia-cheng, was the head of Taoyuan General Hospital’s breast surgery department. Chou was crossing Aiguo West Road with the right of way when he was hit by a bus making a legal left-hand turn from Roosevelt Road, later succumbing to his injuries in the hospital.
Fan revealed that the driver, a 63-year-old named Lee, had nearly two decades of driving experience without major violations, although he had previously been disciplined for bypassing bus stops. Lee had retired in March but returned to work in May. Fan noted that the accident likely occurred due to Lee’s failure to perform a “point-and-call” safety check before turning, which is a company protocol requiring drivers to stop fully and use hand gestures to ensure all directions are clear.
Police indicated that Lee was sober at the time of the incident, and the crash’s cause is still under investigation. After questioning Lee on suspicion of negligent homicide, prosecutors released him on NT$50,000 (US$1,700) bail.
In light of the incident, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an stated that he has urged bus operators to suggest safety improvements and directed transportation officials to reassess the intersection’s safety features. Mayor Chiang emphasized examining the area around Roosevelt Road and the northwest side of Aiguo West Road, considering moving the crosswalk to enhance visibility and safety.
Transportation officials are set to review pedestrian signal timings and plan to add countdown timers and pedestrian refuge islands at the 75-meter-wide intersection where the accident took place. Meanwhile, the advocacy group Vision Zero Taiwan has called on the city to mandate blind-spot detection and automatic emergency braking systems for all buses and urged revisions to traffic regulations to eliminate ambiguous language that may place undue responsibility on pedestrians.
Taoyuan General Hospital issued a statement mourning Chou’s passing, recognizing him as a skilled and compassionate surgeon whose loss leaves a significant void. The hospital highlighted Chou’s dedication to breast cancer surgery and his substantial contributions to the surgical department and the acute trauma medical team.