Taipei City Government

Following the drowsy-driving-related crash on the national highway killing two police officers and one truck driver on April 23, Mayor Ko Wen-je instructed the Department of Labor (DOL) to step up workplace safety inspections targeting logistics, trucking, and bus industries.
 
DOL Commissioner Lai Hsiang-lin remarked that the Labor Inspection Office will implement a special inspection project to make sure requirements on safe driving practices are met.
 
According to Lai, the agency has called for all sectors to deal with overwork-related problems in logistics, freight transport, and the bus industries. Companies that employ truck or bus drivers are liable to prevent driver fatigue and comply with related requirements.
 
The inspections will focus on aspects listed below: (1) whether drivers are on duty for more than 12 hours at a stretch; (2) whether drivers receive at least 11 hours free from work between shifts; and (3) if drivers spend more than six consecutive days on duty.
 
Any violation and negligence on the part of either employers or drivers of these rules may result in drowsy driving, posing serious threats to the safety of drivers and the general public, Lai noted.