TOURISM BUREAU SUGGESTS MEASURES TO COMBAT COACH DRIVER FATIGUE|國旅長途須接駁.換駕駛 228連假大稽查

The recent coach crash that killed 33 people has put driver overwork under the spotlight, and the Tourism Bureau announced that in the future, coach tour packages with long travel distances will have to include a second driver, and when such arrangement is impossible, the means of transport should be diversified. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications will launch joint inspections before the 228 long weekend, and any one-day coach tour which covers long driving distances, includes too many visiting spots, leaves too early and returns too late, will be required to extend the tour to two days. Other options include reducing visiting spots, or recruiting one additional driver. The recent coach crash has drawn the public attention to coach drivers' working hours. Although the existing regulations have set working hours and conditions for professional drivers, the Tourism Bureau thinks that they are not enough. It will request that travel agencies have a second driver or consider other means of transportation in between for long tours. Joint inspections will be launched before the 228 holidays. ==CHANG SHI-CHUNG, Dep. Director-General, Tourism Bureau== We will request that coach companies have second drivers for long-hour tours. If they do not have a second driver, they can consider switching to the high speed rail or train services in between. Industry representatives and the government will meet to discuss a spare driver mechanism. Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport stated that the lack of coach drivers in Taiwan made it impossible to implement such mechanism. The government should monitor one-day tour packages to avoid drivers' driving fatigue. ==WU CHUNG-HSI Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport Manager== One-day tours should not be dominated by the market mechanism. Competent authorities should step in and enforce stricter monitoring. With the government's regulations and the Labor Standards Act, I'm sure that an order will be established. According to the industry, practices from other countries do not necessarily suit Taiwan. Some suggested that the government place a limit on drivers' daily mileage like the ones they had for Chinese tour groups in the past to help prevent driving fatigue. TRANSLATED BY：LUKE CHIANG 蝶戀花旅行社重大車禍，讓遊覽車駕駛過勞問題浮上檯面。觀光局宣布未來將明確要求旅行社，如果行程過長要建立更換駕駛機制，或以其他運具接駁，交通部將在228連假前啟動聯合稽查，如果有「早出晚歸、拉車時間過多、景點過多」的一日遊行程，將要求行程由一日延長為二日、減少景點或強制替換駕駛。 蝶戀花旅行社33死車禍意外，各界檢討大車駕駛工時，根據"汽車運輸業管理規則"規定，每日最多開車時間不得超過十小時，最多連續開車時間，不得超過六小時。連續兩個工作日之間，應有連續十小時以上的休息時間。但觀光局認為法規仍有不足，未來將要求旅行社，一旦行程過長，建立更換駕駛機制，或是採取高鐵、台鐵等多元運具。也將在228連假前、進行聯合稽查。 ==觀光局副局長 張錫聰== 如果行程過長 則應要求 應有要求遊覽車業者 替換駕駛的機制在 如果沒有做替換駕駛的機制 你要採取多元的交通工具 你要使用高鐵 或是使用鐵路 這個運輸來變成 多元交通工具的應用 至於更換駕駛機制，將在周二上午與業者代表，勞動部與消保官進行會商。但以經營客運起家，目前旗下也有旅行社的國光客運直言，台灣大車駕駛人力已不足，雙駕駛或替換駕駛的可能性不高，若是要避免駕駛過勞，應該從一日遊的旅遊產品進行管控。 ==國光客運總經理 吳忠錫== （一日遊)這個事情 不應該讓它任由市場機制 主管機關應拿出魄力來 加以管理管制 我相信回歸到運管規則 及勞基法的規範 應該就可以運作了 業者分析，國外案例不見得適用台灣，像是日本，部分車上得設置有臥鋪讓待命駕駛能充分休息，而在歐洲，運輸業工時通常優於勞動法令，且需要充分配套。也有旅遊業者認為，要防止一日遊過勞，應該比照過去對陸團的限制，直接訂定每日最高的公里數來限縮路程 薛宜家 林志堅 台北報導