Taipei's Department of Motor Vehicles and the Taipei City Traffic Police Corp yesterday said most "mobile-food stands" on the city's streets are illegal and their owners face fines of up to NT$180,000, in addition to having their driver's license suspended.
Most of these mobile-food stands -- integrated in a vehicle, usually a mini van or a compact pick-up truck -- selling fast food and coffee and are popular in urban centers such as in Taipei and Taichung.
PFP Taipei City Councilor Huang Shan-shan (
Attending a press conference held by Huang yesterday, Taipei's Department of Motor Vehicles Deputy Director Lin Wen-yuan (
He said the vehicle needed to be checked when it was first bought and then needed to be looked over again after the owner finished modifying it.
According to current vehicle inspection regulations, however, it could take longer than six months for a modified vehicle to be given the green light.
As a result, many of those who want to run a mobile-food stand business do not follow the rules, which means they do not come back for a second inspection for their vehicles before starting their business.
"If the process is not complete, the vehicle is illegal and violators could be fined from NT$3,600 up to NT$180,000 and their driver's licenses may be suspended," Lin said.
The problems do not end there: Even if the mobile-food stand passes the vehicle inspections, they still stand a good chance of being ticketed.
Taipei City Traffic Corp Deputy Chief Chen Shih-hsiung (
"We will register them as illegal food stands. Violators can be fined from NT$300 to NT$2,400," Chen said.
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