A visually impaired person in Taichung took a guide dog on the Taichung High Speed ​​Rail shuttle bus on the 13th. The driver questioned his identity and was forced to show his disability manual.

The picture shows Taichung High Speed ​​Rail Station.

(file photo)

[Reporter Lin Minzhen/Taichung Report] A visually impaired person in Taichung took a guide dog on the Taichung high-speed rail shuttle bus on the 13th. The driver questioned, "Are you really a visually impaired person?", "Your eyes don't look like that at all." , and loudly demanded to show the handicap handbook to prove his identity. When the person was about to get off the bus, he said, "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable just now", which made the people feel wronged and sad.

The Transportation Bureau of the Taichung City Government stated that Hexin Passenger Transport has been asked to check the monitoring screen of the bus that day as soon as possible to confirm the content of the conversation.

The citizen posted on Facebook afterwards that the driver asked him, "Wait a minute, is he a guide dog?" as soon as he got in the car, and the driver asked the passers-by behind him, "Is he really visually impaired?" The passenger replied, "It's true that he is blind." The driver suddenly shouted, "No, I must be sure!", rushed to his side to confirm again, and said, "Now the Taichung City Government is very strict in inspections, and your eyes are not blind at all. "Like", the people took out the disability handbook, and the driver rushed to read it. After reading it, he didn't even apologize. He didn't politely express his embarrassment until the people got out of the car.

The whole process made people feel sad, ashamed and angry, "I am a visually impaired person, but I live the way you think, I don't need to be the same."

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The Transportation Bureau responded that it is understood that the person should have taken the No. 161 Hexin Bus at Taichung High Speed ​​Rail Station on January 13. In order to clarify the entire incident, Hexin Bus has been asked to check the interior of the bus as soon as possible. Monitor the screen to confirm the content of the conversation.

The Bureau of Transportation stated that drivers who behave inappropriately towards people with disabilities during their duties will not only be punished more severely in accordance with relevant regulations, but will also be included in the annual bus appraisal deduction penalty. In addition, Hexin Bus will also be invited to strengthen the accessibility of its drivers. Education and training to protect the rights and interests of the public.

The Transportation Bureau pointed out that according to Article 58 of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Disabled, people with disabilities who take domestic public transportation shall be given half-price preferential treatment with proof of disability.

Article 60 of the same law stipulates that visually impaired persons are free to enter and exit public transportation and other public facilities accompanied by qualified guide dogs, and shall not charge additional fees for qualified guide dogs, and shall not deny free access or impose other access conditions.