Bus accident in Taipei’s Wenshan district kills elderly pedestrian

On 27 July 2026 a city bus in Taipei’s Wenshan district started moving and struck an elderly woman who had just stepped off the vehicle near the Jingmei night‑market area. The woman, aged in her 80s, was found dead at the scene. Police records show the 55‑year‑old driver had a zero blood‑alcohol reading and tested negative for drugs; the investigation into the precise cause and liability has been handed to the traffic division.

The incident has sparked calls for mandatory safety technology on large public‑transport vehicles. Candidate Chen Zhiying, a local councilor‑candidate, urged the Taipei mayor and the national transport minister to require front‑blind‑spot detection (MOIS) and other advanced driver‑assistance systems on all city and inter‑city buses, noting that Taiwan operates roughly 30 000 large‑capacity buses and 170 000 heavy trucks, which together account for about 400 fatalities each year. She highlighted that existing forward‑collision warning systems do not cover the critical start‑up blind spot and pointed to new EU regulations that mandate such equipment on new vehicles.