Ride-hailing service Uber Technologies Inc yesterday announced that it would change its operating model in Taiwan and partner with local taxi firms, which would prevent the company contravening a legal amendment dubbed the “Uber clause.”
The US company said in a statement that it would work with the taxi industry and serve as a technology platform under the government’s multipurpose taxi program, which allows mobile app-based metering and upfront pricing, and does not require the drivers to use yellow taxis.
Under the new model, “riders won’t see any change to the app experience or the service they have been used to,” Uber said.
The move settles a dispute between the company and the government stemming from Article 130-1 of the Transportation Management Regulations (汽車運輸業管理規則) that took effect on June 6, which bans Uber from offering taxi services through business partnerships with local car rental operators in the nation, as it had been doing.
While a transition period is allowed, people who contravene the revised regulations could face a fine of NT$9,000 to NT$90,000 starting on Sunday, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said.
As for the nearly 10,000 Uber drivers in the nation, the ministry said it has been helping those who want to stay in the business obtain taxi operation permits.
Polytronics Technology Corp (聚鼎科技) yesterday announced that it is buying Henkel AG’s thermal clad dielectric material (TCLAD) business division for US$26 million as the Taiwanese firm aims to improve its technology, product portfolio and revenue performance. Polytronics, headquartered in the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), is a supplier of protection components and heat dissipation materials. The firm entered the metallic heat-dissipation substrate market in 2007 and developed a unique solventless production process. Its board of directors approved signing an agreement with Henkel to acquire the German chemical firm’s TCLAD division in the US. The purchase includes all assets and business interests, including equipment,
SIZE MATTERS: Medium-sized hotels that do not have the support of parent groups are more vulnerable and are forced to take action, a REPro Knight Frank researcher said About 50 hotels across Taiwan are seeking to exit the market as they succumb to the bleak business outlook amid international travel restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Yomi Hotel (優美飯店) on Minsheng E Road, Sec 1, in Taipei is seeking to transfer ownership with an asking price of NT$950 million (US$32.15 million) and a pledge for a lease contract that guarantees a 3 percent return. The budget hotel, with room rates that start from NT$1,400 per night, maintains normal operations, but has been struggling since March, when the government placed restrictions on inbound and outbound travel. Occupancy rates for hotels in
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