Beginning from Jan. 1 next year, the legally ordained maximum working hours will be reduced from 84 hours per two weeks to 40 hours per week. Taipei City Public Transportation Office chief secretary Shang Chin-tang says that bus drivers will be given four more days off every month. If bus schedules are to remain the same, bus companies will have to offer more overtime pay, with bus drivers receiving two to four hours of overtime pay per day.
Starting salaries for bus drivers range from NT$40,000 to NT$50,000 per month, and drivers who work more can earn at least NT$70,000. However, many drivers believe that they are selling their time for high wages. They have to work 10 to 12 hours per day and only get four days off each month. Traffic in both Taipei and New Taipei City is a mess. Driving a bus is like walking a tightrope and can be extremely exhausting, so not many people want to join the fleet.
Shang says that buses in Greater Taipei are currently short-staffed by nearly 1,200 people. Except for smaller bus companies such as Sindian Bus, Tamsui Bus and Southeast Bus, the other bus companies are short-handed by 60 to 250 people.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
照片:自由時報王藝菘
Capital Bus general manager Lee Chien-wen says the operators are “very willing” to give drivers two days off per week, but according to regulations issued by Taipei City Government’s Department of Transportation, they must meet the target of the required frequency for each bus route. In addition, they have to pass labor inspections administered by the Department of Labor. Capital Bus has allocated a budget for drivers who work on holidays next year, with the annual cost expected to be about NT$20 million.
Li says bluntly that bus transportation has transformed into a service industry, which entails complicated demands and more complaints from passengers. The government should think about how to increase drivers’ social status and work conditions. Shang says that bus fares will go up next year. The bus union and bus association have reached a consensus that for every fare increase of NT$1, drivers’ monthly salaries will go up by NT$2,000. Hopefully that will reduce the bus driver turnover rate.
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
明年元旦起,法定工時由雙週八十四小時,縮短為單週四十小時。台北市公共運輸處主任秘書尚錦堂說,駕駛每月將增加四天例休假;若照原班表出車,業者就要支付更多加班費,駕駛每天可多拿四小時加班費。
公車駕駛起薪每月四、五萬元,出車量較大的更上看七萬,但許多駕駛認為這是「以時間換取高薪」;每天工時高達十至十二小時,月休才四天,雙北市交通又亂,公車上路宛如「走鋼索」,相當費神,入行意願低。
尚錦堂說,大台北公車駕駛目前缺額近一千兩百人,除了規模較小的新店、淡水和東南客運,其餘業者缺額六十人至兩百五十人。
首都客運總經理李建文說,業者「很願意」讓駕駛週休二日,但受限於交通局規定,每條路線需跑足班次,還得顧及勞動局的勞動檢查;首都客運已編列預算,給予明年例假日出車的駕駛例假津貼,一年約支出兩千萬元。
李建文坦言,公車轉型為服務業,要求繁瑣、乘客投訴多,政府應思考提升駕駛的社會地位及勞動條件。尚錦堂說,明年公車運價調漲,工、公會已達成共識,票價上漲一元,駕駛可加薪兩千元,盼能降低駕駛流動率。
(自由時報記者郭逸)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but