Taxis in front of the west wing of Taipei Railway Station will be required to pick up passengers at the underground level starting today as the city government attempts to ease traffic congestion around the station.
The new taxi zone is located at the B1 level of the parking lot on the west side of the station. Taxis are still allowed to drop passengers off at ground level, while the east side area in front of the station remains open for taxi pickups and drop offs, the Department of Transportation said.
Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢), commissioner of the department, said roadside taxi stands have long caused traffic problems and the department would continue working with the Taiwan Railways Administration to provide more parking spots and move all roadside taxi stands underground to prevent long lines of taxis from tying up traffic.
PHOTO: LIN HSIU-TZU, TAIPEI TIMES
Taipei Taxi Driver Association director Lin Sheng-he (林聖河) said the administration only allotted 15 parking spots for taxis, which would have a limited effect on resolving the traffic problem around the station.
Lin called on the department to find more parking space for taxis around the area and urged the department to strengthen measures to clamp down on taxi drivers who continue to pick up customers at ground level.
Luo said the department would dissuade taxi drivers from lining up on the west side of the railway station, adding that those who refused to cooperate would face fines of between NT$900 and NT$1,800.
Big shopping malls, including the Sogo Department Store and Taipei 101, as well as retailers such as RT-Mart, have already cooperated with taxi companies to set up on-call taxi stands at the stores’ underground parking lots.
The department added 800 parking spots for taxis last year, but there is still not enough parking space to accommodate the more than 60,000 taxis the city.
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