Bus driver in Taiwan drives off after elderly man falls while trying to board, draws criticism

Bus driver in Taiwan shuts door & drives off despite elderly man falling while trying to board his vehicle

A bus driver in Taiwan has come under fire after shutting the doors and driving off while an elderly man fell trying to board his vehicle.

Footage of the incident quickly went viral, prompting responses from both the public and the bus operator.

The incident occurred around noon on 7 Oct, according to FTV News.

Elderly man falls while trying to board bus

In the footage, an elderly man with a cane can be seen slowly walking towards a bus. As he is about to board, he suddenly loses balance and tumbles backwards.

He falls to the ground, hitting the utility pole behind him before ending up lying on the ground.

Immediately after the fall, the bus begins to accelerate, shut its door, and drive off.

The elderly man is left on the ground as he helplessly watches his ride leave.

Fortunately, passersby who witnessed the incident step in to help the man.

Witnesses shocked by bus driver’s actions

The seemingly callous act stunned passersby. One witness told reporters she could hardly believe her eyes, speculating that the driver might not have noticed the fall.

“Maybe it was all too fast,” she said. “I think most drivers would notice someone falling down.”

Responding to the incident, the bus company clarified that the driver did notice the man fall.

“The driver noticed that the old man was about to get on the bus, but then he fell,” said a spokesperson. “He then used his intercom to ask the motorcyclist next to him and passersby to help call an ambulance.”

Despite that, the bus operator said the right thing to do for the driver was to get off the bus to help the man. To that end, they promised to strengthen employee training in the future.