TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's transportation industry faces mounting scrutiny after government inspections revealed widespread labor violations that officials warn could compromise public safety. The Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部), Taiwan's national authority overseeing workplace regulations, disclosed Friday (April 18) that more than one in six transportation businesses failed compliance checks last year, resulting in penalties totaling NT$11.13 million (US$342,250). Officials expressed particular concern about how driver fatigue and poor working conditions might endanger both passengers and other road users.
The findings emerged during a standard operational briefing delivered by Hsu Li-ying (許莉瑩), who directs the Comprehensive Planning Division (綜合規劃組) within Taiwan's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, 職業安全衛生署), the government agency responsible for workplace safety enforcement. Hsu detailed results from inspections conducted across multiple transportation sectors including conventional and high-speed railways, urban bus services, intercity freight operations, and tourist coach providers throughout Taiwan.
Government inspectors conducted 1,200 workplace audits across the transportation industry during 2024, identifying 197 instances of regulatory non-compliance that generated NT$11.13 million (US$342,250) in financial penalties. While the overall violation rate of 16.42% showed slight improvement from the previous year's 17.4%, officials observed a troubling upward trend in the passenger bus sector, where violations jumped from 31.4% to 39.29%. The most prevalent infractions involved drivers receiving inadequate rest periods between shifts (16.42%), excessive working hours (10.71%), and uncompensated overtime (4.29%), problems that Hsu linked directly to industry-wide staffing deficits.
Looking ahead, labor officials intend to strengthen their partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (交通部), Taiwan's government department overseeing transportation infrastructure and services. This interagency cooperation will focus on coordinated inspections targeting bus companies, freight carriers, and tour operators. The labor compliance records will function as safety performance indicators within the transportation ministry's evaluation framework, helping authorities identify high-risk operators requiring additional scrutiny through targeted inspections. ★
