TTSB releases the final report of a Kuang Cheng Tai Tourist Bus hit a tree on Section 2, Minquan East Road in Zhongshan District, Taipei City

The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) released the final report on the investigation of Kuang Cheng Tai Tourist Bus hit a tree on Section 2, Minquan East Road in Zhongshan District, Taipei City

At approximately 18:18 on March 3, 2025, a tourist bus operated by Kuang Cheng Tai Transportation Co., Ltd. carried 1 driver, 1 staff member, and 20 passengers, for a total of 22 people. While traveling in the right lane hit a tree on the sidewalk in front of No. 166, Section 2, Minquan East Road in Zhongshan District, Taipei City. As a result of the crash, 21 occupants sustained injuries.

In accordance with the Transportation Occurrence Investigation Act, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) is the independent transportation occurrence investigation agency responsible for conducting the investigation. The investigation team also included members from the Highway Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications; Taipei City Government; Public Works Department, Taipei City Government; Department of Transportation, Taipei City Government; and Kuang Cheng Tai Transportation Co., Ltd.

The draft investigation report was completed in January 2026 and, according to procedures, sent to relevant agencies (institutions) for their opinions. The investigation report was published after review and approval by the 83^rd Board Meeting on February 13, 2026.

After comprehensive investigation and analysis of the factual data, a total of 4 findings and 2 safety recommendations were obtained.

Ⅰ. Investigation Findings

Findings Related to Probable Causes

1. Due to the excessive leaning growth of the roadside tree, the vertical clearance of the lane was insufficient. In addition, the warning tape tied to the tree had poor visibility. At the time of the accident, the driver's attention was affected by heavy surrounding traffic, and the driver did not anticipate a possible overhead obstruction in the lane. As a result, the driver failed to notice the tree in time and collided with it.

Findings Related to Risks

1. Following inspections of roadside trees by the Parks and Street Lights Office, warning tape had been tied to trees because of tree leaning and insufficient lane vertical clearance, or the trees had been identified through tree safety assessments as posing a high environmental public safety risk. Nevertheless, collisions between vehicles and roadside trees still occurred. This indicates that the existing handling mechanisms, including roadside tree inspections and tree safety assessments, are insufficient to effectively prevent inadequate vertical clearance caused by roadside trees.
2. After lane adjustments on the accident road section, parking spaces were located within the outer lane. During peak hours, when parking was prohibited, the area became part of the driving space for general vehicles. Under circumstances in which the edge line of the outer lane was too close to the sidewalk, vehicles traveling in the lane were more likely to approach the sidewalk edge, thereby increasing the risk of contacting or colliding with roadside trees.

Other Findings

1. No abnormalities were found in the tires, steering system, or braking system of the accident vehicle. The driver held a valid driver's license issued by the Highway Bureau. There is no evidence indicating that this accident was related to driver fatigue or alcohol.

Ⅱ. Safety Recommendations

To Taipei City Government

1. Strengthen the management mechanism for roadside tree vertical clearance by incorporating systematic checks of road clearance into inspection and tree safety assessment operations, and establish necessary pruning standards and handling procedures to prevent roadside trees from encroaching into traffic lanes and causing insufficient lane vertical clearance.
2. When reconfiguring or adjusting outer lanes, reference may be made to the Urban Road and Ancillary Works Design Standards to review the safe lateral and vertical clearance between lane edge lines and public facilities such as roadside trees. Roadside trees should be pruned in a timely manner, or lane configurations adjusted as appropriate, in order to reduce the risk of collisions with roadside trees.

Full Final Report in Chinese is available for download at

https://www.ttsb.gov.tw

Ya-Ting Chang, Director

Secretary Office

Tel: +886-2-7727-6210

E-mail: [email protected]

Richard Jih, Investigator-In-Charge

Highway Occurrence Investigation Division

Tel: +886-2-7727-6272

E-mail: [email protected]