On one end of the crossing is Lucky Cement Corporation (LCC, 幸福水泥), where most gravel trucks driving down Yangmei's Puhsin (楊梅埔心) head toward; there are usually very few members of the general public in the area, Deputy Director-General Chang Ying-huei (張應輝) said yesterday, implying that it was mainly the truck drivers that had broken the fences at the crossing.

The TRA had negotiated with LCC multiple times over the past year, asking the company to restrict the gravel truck drivers from running the crossing, and had even warned the crossing may be closed down if situation did not improve, Chang said, emphasizing that the railway police will interfere and strictly ticket the truck drivers if necessary.

LCC Recently Installed Surveillance Cameras

The LCC admitted to frequent cases of truck drivers speeding and breaking fences at the crossing, saying yesterday that it had only recently installed four surveillance cameras so that it could catch the drivers who had run the crossing and charge them.

It is possible that the driver surnamed Peng involved in the Taroko Express crash yesterday did not run the crossing in fear that he would be charged for the broken fences, which explained why he was not in the car but was attempting to remove the fence, the LCC said.

Because the cement delivery was outsourced, the company does not know and has no authority over the truck drivers; also, because the divers are unfamiliar with the area and how the crossing operates, they often run it. “This crossing is very absurd,” an LCC official said. “Sometimes you have to wait a long time before the fences come down, and the trains will be rushing at you within seconds.”

Over 350 Non-guarded Crossings in Taiwan

There are a total of 537 crossings all across the TRA system in Taiwan, among which two-thirds are not monitored, including the Yangmei Puhsin crossing, where the Taroko Express accident occurred, killing the train driver and leaving 26 injured.

The TRA has four kinds of crossings: ones where security guards are stationed, ones where guards show up at set times, ones where no guards are stationed but automatic alarms and fences are installed, and ones where only signs are installed. The third kind is the most prevalent, the TRA said.

Because of limited budgets, it is impossible to hire guards to monitor every crossing, and the trains cannot afford to slow down every time they reach a crossing, so the public needs to strictly follow the “stop, look, and listen” rule, the train company warned.