MOTC SHOWS OFF COACH CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY TESTS|遊覽車安全引質疑 公開車體打造現場

In response to escalating concerns over the safety of passenger buses, the Ministry of Transport and Communications took the press to the garage shop where new buses are built and safety tests conducted. The Ministry stressed that regulations regarding the structural strength of buses were tightened in 2008, which has significantly made traveling by bus a lot safer. Yet it also conceded that there hasn't been a proper mechanism to retire aging buses. The inclination angle is at 28 degrees, this is the test for the bus with 3.4 meters height or above. If tires are off the ground, then the bus failed the test. For bus rollover simulation, the test is to see the level of damage, the rooftop split open. As to the assembled vehicles, mechanics emphasized its absolute safety. ==VEHICLE BODY MECHANIC== The points, the welding points. Look at them, we require approximately every 10cm for one welding point. As to domestic tour coaches having foreign chassis but being furnished with local parts, the Vehicle Safety Certification Center said, Taiwan's regulations on coaches were equivalent to international standards. However, as to new bus rooves, his words were reserved. ==CHOU WEI-KUO CEO, Vehicle Safety Certification Center== There is no way to quantify safety, therefore I am not able to provide any definite parameters to you. But I can say, by contrasting that crashed tour bus with new ones, the old one had eight differences over the regulations. (Does that mean new buses are more likely not to flip over? Or may not be as serious as this crash?) Certainly, new buses do not so easily flip over, even if they do, the vehicle bodies are hard enough to provide proper protective measures. Taiwan does not have any regulations on old tour buses. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications officials and Vehicle Safety Certification Center CEO emphasized, if maintenance were done properly, the age of the vehicle is not a problem. ==LI CHAO-HSIEN Senior Exe. Officer, MOTC== The risks associated with old vehicles are definitely higher. Therefore we should establish a complete management system for aged vehicles. However, experts doubt vehicle maintenance can be integrated with the inspection. If there is no regulation of aged vehicles, then there is no way to avoid cheating. After all, tour bus safety problem will continue. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 國道遊覽車翻覆意外，引發國人對遊覽車安全性的疑慮。針對車高，車體安全性，及國內二階段打造車體的問題，交通部公開國內車體打造現場，車輛傾斜測試及模擬翻覆，強調97年以後強制實施車身結構強度法規後，安全性已經大大提高，但老車退場機制仍未建立。 傾斜的角度巳經來到二十八度，這是目前對車高三點四公尺以上的遊覽車，所作的實車測試，如果車輪離地，就表示不合格。 而在模擬車輛翻覆部份，是要測試車輛翻覆時的毀損程度，車頂整個裂開。 被外界最詬病的車體組裝部份，台南的車輛組裝工廠也公開現場，技師強調，接點安全性禁得起考驗。 ==車體技師== 接點啊 都焊接接點 你看我們這個 規定差不多三公分 十公分就要一個接點 針對國內遊覽車進口底盤，打造車體的二階段組裝方式，車安中心執行長指出，國內的要求並不比國際差，民國九十六年後也限制不得超高三點五公尺，強制實施車身結構強度安全檢測，但對於新法規實施後的車輛，翻覆後是否會避免掀頂，語帶保留。 ==車安中心執行長 周維果== 安全沒有辦法量化 所以我沒有辦法 跟各位講具體的參數 但我可以講說 那一部事故車輛 跟現在新出廠車輛 在法規上落差總共有八個階段 （所以現在新車就比較不怕翻車） （或翻車時不會像這次這麼嚴重） 確實比較不容易翻 即便翻了之後 結構強度也會有適當保護 由於國內目前針對老舊遊覽車沒有退場機制，交通部官員及車安中心，卻強調老車保養的好，年齡不是問題。 ==交通部專委 李昭賢== 但是確實老車的風險當然會偏高 所以我們對老車 應該要有更加全面性的管理機制 公開測試過程，也一再強調法規與國際接軌，但專家質疑，保檢不能合一，老車沒有退場機制，再嚴的法規，沒有辦法落實或從制度上防弊，遊覽車的問題，還是會不斷發生。 黃千容 賴世杰 溫正衡 彰化台南報導