TAIPEI, March 10 -- The driver of the tour bus that overturned last month in Taipei and left 33 people dead had overworked and was driving too fast, local prosecutors said Friday at a press briefing on the investigation of the accident.
The bus was carrying 44 people, most of whom were senior citizens, when it veered off the highway in Taipei on the evening of Feb. 13 while returning from a cherry blossom tour.
The investigation found that the driver, among the dead, had long overworked. In August and December, he worked for 28 days each month, and worked consecutively 24 days from December 21 to January 13, according to the prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the bus was running at a speed of 98 kilometers per hour close to where it overturned and crashed into the guardrail at a speed of 79 kilometers per hour, both of which were far in excess of the speed limits of 50 and 40 kilometers per hour. There were four speed-limit signs along the road.
The prosecutors said that to guarantee road safety, the administration must strengthen management of drivers' physical and mental health, while improving road design and facilities.
The investigation is continuing.
