Ire raised along with cab fares

To cope with the new fee structure, taxi drivers have to either install a new IC chip in their old meter or replace the entire meter.

The ceiling for installing a new chip is set at NT$800. Prices for a new meter, however, vary from NT$1,000 to NT$6,000.

Taipei City has a total of roughly 36,000 taxi cabs, about 20 percent of which are equipped with old meters which will need replacement, while the remaining cabs will need to replace only the chip.

The city's Bureau of Transportation (交通局) has estimated that it may take four to six months to complete the entire installation and replacement process.

In the meantime, copies of tables comparing the new fare structure with the old one will be made available for the convenience of taxi drivers and the public.