The Taipei City Government will revise municipal regulations to allow for the removal of bicycles parked illegally and fine their owners from next year in a bid to curb the growing number of bicycle parking violations.
Chen Ching-chen (陳慶誠), a division chief of Taipei City’s Transportation Department, said bicycles parked on sidewalks or along red lines would be removed and the owners would have to pay a NT$100 removal fee and a maintenance fee of NT$50 per day.
Chen said the new measure would be implemented next year because illegal parking of bicycles has become a big problem, especially near MRT stations and major roads.
However, he did not give a starting date for the crackdown.
Chen Kuan-long (陳冠龍), a division chief of Taipei City’s Parking Office, said his office would issue “persuasion tickets” first, before fully enforcing the new regulations.
Traffic police would enforce the new ban, especially at bicycle parking spots around MRT stations and major roads such as Zhongxiao E Road, he said.
However, Chen Kuan-long acknowledged that the lack of license plates on the bicycles would create problems because it would be difficult to confirm the identity of the people claiming towed bicycles.
If more than one person tries to claim the same bicycle, the case will be turned over to the police department, Chen Kuan-long said.
The Taipei City Police Department has already suggested that the central government establish a bicycle registration system and require all bicycle owners to register their two-wheelers.
Meanwhile, the city government plans to relax regulations on towing cars during typhoon season. Car owners will now have two hours to move their vehicles out of water gate areas after the city government announces the gates will be closed because of an approaching typhoon, officials said.
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