【新唐人2014年08月22日訊】西藏旅遊局日前突然下發緊急通知，要求在西藏的旅遊團，從19號零點起，每輛車只能乘坐20人，還必須要配備一名公安民警。國內網絡更一度傳出「西藏全線停團」。限載20人，就能杜絕重大交通事故了嗎？旅遊局為甚麼在這個時機「緊急通知」？引發外界揣測。
香港《蘋果日報》和《東方日報》，都在21號報導了西藏旅遊局突然發出的「緊急通知」。
《新華網》也在21號報導，西藏旅遊局發出「緊急通知」說，從8月19號零點起，正在西藏的旅遊團，每車乘車人員限定20人以內，包括導遊、司機、一名公安民警。還要配合司機，在交通運管局和公安局備案。另外，已經簽訂協議合同，準備運行的團隊，也要按這個辦法執行。
一位大陸民眾證實了這一消息。
大陸民眾張先生：「他說一個車上17個人。是不是就是網上說的，20個人，減去這個司機，導遊，警察，是17個人是吧。」
而國內網絡上傳出這一消息更早，也與官方的說法稍有不同。
中國知名維權人士北風20號發貼說，「西藏全線停團，接待遊客全部取消」。北風轉登的「緊急通知」，除了限載20人的內容，開頭還提到「從2014年8月19日零點起，所有未到達團隊/散客，全部取消！」
《蘋果日報》也引用旅遊業人士的話說，旅遊局連夜下達指示，西藏不再接團了，現有遊客每車只能坐20人，很多人困在林芝。
由於西藏在這個月9號和18號，連續發生了兩起嚴重的車禍，12號還發生了警察向藏人示威者開槍，至少造成10人受傷，2人死亡的事件，「緊急通知」在這一時機發佈，也引發外界揣測，當局突然收緊旅遊規定，只是為了交通安全？還是涉及維穩，或其他原因。
「達賴喇嘛西藏宗教基金會」董事長達瓦才仁：「我聽到的說法是，中國政府的說法是，旅遊車，一輛車不能超過20個人，因為在之前有一輛車翻車，好像裡面有40多人。」
但有網民認為，每輛車限載20個人，無法從根本上杜絕重大交通事故的發生。是否西藏有大事發生。還有網民調侃說，飛機發生那麼多空難，乾脆飛機也限載20人算了。
有正在西藏旅遊的遊客在網絡表示，受到新規定的影響，他從拉薩去林芝，全程限速40，沿途每隔幾十公里都有卡哨查車。400多公里的路，走了13小時。
台灣網民說，與其說是為了「交通安全」，倒不如說是「全程監控」。
雖然西藏旅遊局工作人員告訴《新唐人》，目前並沒有停辦「入藏旅遊批准函」，但限載20人的「緊急通知」顯然已經導致旅行社成本大幅增加，因此部分旅行社決定暫緩接團。
採訪/陳漢 編輯/尚燕 後製/陳建銘
Tibet Tourism Restricts Tour Bus Load To Prevent Accidents?
Tibet Tourism Bureau, suddenly issued an emergency regulation, specifying tour buses must carry no more than 20 people, to also be equipped with one police officer, starting from 0:00 on Aug. 19. On Chinese Internet, it was said Tibet has stopped all tourism. Netizens questioned if the load limit will prevent any major traffic accidents, and why this urgent notice was suddenly issued.
Hong Kong’s newspaper, Apple Daily and Oriental Daily have both reported Tibet Tourism Bureau’s urgent notice on Aug. 21.
CCP mouthpiece, Xinhua, also reported this urgent notice on Aug. 21 from Tibet Tourism Bureau. Starting from 0:00 o’clock on Aug. 19, all Tibet tour groups are required to limit loading to 20 people per bus, including a tour guide, driver and police guard. Each tour bus driver must register with the Transportation Bureau and Public Security along with the bus. Even the contracted groups must modify the trip accordingly.
A domestic Chinese citizen helped to confirm the news.
Mainlander, Mr. Zhang: “It is said to load 17 people to each bus. I believe that’s the 20 people limit, minus the driver, tour guide and the police. That makes 17 people."
This information was released earlier online but with a slightly different version.
Human rights activist, Bei Feng, posted a blog on Aug. 20 stating, “All tour groups are cancelled in Tibet." In the urgent notice posted by Bei Feng, it stated, load limit of 20 people, starting Aug. 19 at 0:00, all tour groups and individual tourists not arriving in Tibet are cancelled."
Tourism industry also told Apple Daily, due to the urgent notice, no more tourist groups are permitted and current bus services can only carry 20 people, many people are thus trapped in Nyingchi prefecture.
Earlier, on Aug 9 and 18, two serious car accidents occured in Tibet; the police also opened fire against the Tibetan protestors on Aug 12 leaving at least 10 people injured and two people killed. This urgent notice thus triggered much speculation about the timing. Is it for traffic safety, for the maintenance of stability, or other reasons?
Tibet Religious Foundation Chairman Dawa Tsering: “What I have heard is no more than 20 people are allowed in one tour bus. Previously an accident involved a bus with more than 40 people inside."
Netizens commented that a vehicle load limit of 20 people can not fundamentally prevent the occurrence of major accidents in Tibet. There are also netizens who joked, so many airplanes have crashed, the load limit should also be limited to 20 people too.
There are tourists in Tibet indicating online, that the new regulation has limited the speed from Lhasa to Nyingchi to 40 mph, with check points every dozen kilometers apart. It took 13 hours to travel the 400 kilometer journey.
A Taiwanese netizen indicated, that rather than for “traffic safety", it is more of a “full control measure."
Staff at the Tibet Tourism Bureau told NTD, Tibet travel approval has continued, however, the change of 20 people limit, has led to substantial increases in travel costs. Therefore, part of the travel agency decided to suspend the tour plans.
Interview/ChenHan Edit/ShangYan Post-Production/Chen Jianming
