Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Taiwan's transportation safety board said Wednesday it was unsure whether to invite Russia to the International Transportation Safety Association's (ITSA) annual meeting in Taiwan next year.
Taiwan Railways Administration Director-General Du Wei (杜微) yesterday pledged to increase the punctuality of train services to 95 percent or higher this year.
Du made the remarks in a speech at a ceremony celebrating the 135th founding anniversary of the agency.
On Wednesday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said in an online talk show that the agency would not be allowed to raise ticket prices, which have not been adjusted for 26 years, until after it shows significant improvement in safety and punctuality.
The agency’s average punctuality rate between 2012 and last year was 93.4 percent, Du said,
A lack of higher salaries is the main reason that the Railway Bureau has been unable to recruit an adequate number of railway inspectors, Taiwan Transportation Safety Board Chairman Young Hong-tsu (楊宏智) said yesterday.
The bureau decided to hire railway inspectors to enhance safety following the derailments of Puyuma Express No. 6432 in 2018 and Taroko Express No. 408 last year, resulting in a total of 67 dead and 479 injured.
The responsibilities of a railway inspector are similar to those of an aviation inspector, to review all railway procedures, equipment and the train to ensure that everything complies with the safety
Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Unprofessional worksite practices and unclear contract stipulations were among a number of failures surrounding a train crash that killed 49 and injured 213 in April last year, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) said Tuesday.
Taipei, March 31 (CNA) The relatives of the 49 people who died last year in a train crash in eastern Taiwan will receive a total NT$150 million (US$5.24 million) in damages, Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) confirmed Thursday.