Taipei: The Legislature has enacted amendments to the Railway Act, introducing criminal penalties for acts of violence, coercion, or threats aimed at obstructing railway workers during their duties. These new provisions are designed to enhance the safety of railway personnel and address incidents of violence more effectively.

According to Focus Taiwan, the amendments allow for imprisonment of up to three years and fines reaching NT$300,000 for such offenses. In cases where obstruction leads to death, perpetrators could face life imprisonment or a prison term exceeding seven years, while serious injuries could result in sentences of three to ten years. These revisions are inspired by the Medical Care Act’s provisions on emergency room violence, focusing on protecting railway staff on duty.

The amended law empowers railway operators to deny service when there’s a risk of violence, coercion, or threats against personnel. This change became necessary after the Taiwan Railways Administration’s corporatization on January 1, 2024, which led to the inapplicability of Article 135 of the Criminal Code to new hires. This year alone, there have been 14 reported cases of violence against railway workers.

Additionally, the amendments aim to curb improper profit-seeking related to train tickets. Individuals caught reselling tickets at inflated prices or exchanging them for illicit gains may face fines ranging from 10 to 50 times the ticket fare, depending on the number of tickets involved.

Railway operators, both private and state-owned, are also subject to fines between NT$30,000 and NT$300,000 for failing to implement necessary safety measures or for inadequate training and management of their staff. The Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee had previously reviewed these proposals, which were passed during the committee stage without requiring cross-party negotiations.

The amendments successfully passed their third reading in the Legislative Yuan’s plenary session on Tuesday without any objections.