<strong>China: Taipei Bus Stop Smoking Ban Expands</strong>

Source from:  The China Post  10/27/2014

Smoking is now banned at all stops along Taipei's 13 bus-only lanes, with violators facing a maximum fine of NT$10,000, the city's health officials said yesterday.

The bus stop smoking ban started along the Xinyi bus lane in January and has now expanded to all 13 bus lanes, along which there are a total of 155 stops, the officials said.

Violators could get slapped with fines ranging from NT$2,000 to NT$10,000, the officials added.

The officials said a previous survey showed that 93 percent of citizens gave a thumbs-up to the bus stop smoking ban.

The next phase of the measure looks at banning smoking at all 914 sheltered bus stops in six to eight months, according to the officials, and the plan is eventually to introduce the ban to all of the city's bus stops.

The officials said anti-smoking volunteers and city inspectors will be dispatched to make random patrols of the bus stops, particularly during rush hours.

There is no grace period, and any people caught smoking will be ticketed, the officials said, explaining that notices of the ban have already been posted at the bus stops since September, and citizens must be well aware of the measure.

The officials said since the smoking ban was implemented along the Xinyi bus lane, volunteers and inspectors have made random checks at its stops for 80 times, but no violations have been recorded so far. Enditem