TOURISM AND DGH HEADS TURN IN VERBAL RESIGNATIONS|遊覽車翻覆33死公祭 觀光局長.公路總局長請辭

Last week today, a bus carrying a tour group of mainly senior citizens crashed on a highway, killing 33 people, and marks Taiwan's worst highway accident in 30 years. A public memorial ceremony for victims of the coach crash was held yesterday. Iris Travel Service Co. owner Chou Pi-Tsang showed up at the ceremony but did not respond to any of the questions asked by the victim's families. The heads of the Tourism Bureau and Directorate General of Highways have both turned in their verbal resignations to take responsibility for the deadly accident. Iris Travel Service Co. owner Chou Pi-Tsang showed up last minute at the public memorial ceremony for the crash victims on February 19 but left immediately without answering any question. Victims' families criticized that the compensation of NT$150,000 he agreed a day before was an empty promise. ==MR.CHEN family members of the coach crash victims== The funeral procession is held today. Your kneeling down yesterday was simply a show that you put on. They are now asking us to get the money ourselves. They are like, "This was the deal you made with Mr. Chou yesterday. Get the money yourselves." The crash has directed public attention to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The Ministry confirmed that Director-Generals of Tourism Bureau and Directorate General of Highways have both turned in their verbal resignations to Minister Ho Chen Tan. ==CHEN YEN-PO, Director of DGH== As the head of the competent authority for highways, I should take the administrative responsibility. I have offered the Minister a verbal resignation and submitted a written resignation. The representative of victims' families stated that the travel agency has signed an agreement for the insurance company to handle their claims in advance, but Yu Li Express was still processing the request. He urged that the company accelerate the procedure. TRANSLATED BY：LUKE CHIANG 國道5號遊覽車翻覆造成33死，上午在二殯進行的公祭儀式中，蝶戀花負責人周比蒼在公祭快結束之祭到場致意，面對家屬追問不發一語，而交通部今天也證實，觀光局長周永暉，和公路總局局長陳彥伯，都已口頭請辭，不過兩位局長是否異動，還必須要等交通部長賀陳旦做最後決定。 蝶戀花旅行社負責人周比蒼，在公祭快結束前，抵達會場向罹難者致意，但隨及快閃離開，面對家屬質問，不發一語，自救會家屬痛批，前一天周比蒼和家屬開協調會，周比蒼當場允諾會給予每位罹難者15萬元喪葬費，結果根本是一場空。 ==自救會代表 陳先生== 今天要出殯 那你昨天頭七來這邊跪什麼 你也是跪假的啊 現在就是推給家屬 請你自己去請款 這是你們昨天跟周老闆講的事情 你們自己去跟周老闆討這筆錢 而這幾起造成33人死亡的嚴重意外，也讓各界把矛頭指向主管機關交通部，交通部證實，上周觀光局長周永暉，和公路總局局長陳彥伯，都已口頭請辭，不過兩位局長是否異動，還必須要等交通部長賀陳旦做最後決定，公路總局局長陳彥伯上午也到公祭現場致意，他表示自己應該負起行政責任。 ==公路總局局長 陳彥伯== 我身為公路主管機關的一個首長 也要為此負起行政責任 所以我已經向部長口頭請辭 並提出書面辭呈 另外，針對罹難者的保險理賠部分，自救會代表表示，蝶戀花旅行社已經簽署切結書、同意保險公司先行理賠，但遊覽車所屬的友力通運公司則還在進行公司內部程序，自救會也呼籲，希望業者可以加快腳步。 薛宜家 郭俊麟 台北報導