Taiwanese drivers will be able to obtain international driving permits (IDPs) with a fixed term of validity of three years by next month at the earliest, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
Currently, an IDP is valid for three years from the date of issue, or until the expiration date of the holder's domestic driver's license, whichever is earlier. Domestic licenses are valid for six years.
Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯), deputy director general of the Department of Highways and Railways, said that the current regulations have caused inconvenience to many motorists.
“Some people have complained that because they had applied for international driving permits when their domestic licenses were about to expire, they had to mail back their old licenses from overseas and ask family members to renew the licenses on their behalf, which is a hassle,” he said.
The ministry decided to follow the UN's International Legal Road Traffic Norms, whereby motorists are given three-year international driving permits.
Chen said that once the ministry completes amending the Road Traffic Security Rules (道路交通安全規則) next month, motorists can start applying for the fixed-term three-year IDPs.
Chen said the ministry was also amending Article 75 of the Road Traffic Security Rules, which will allow motorists to apply for a new, six-year license if they lost or damaged their old ones.
Current rules provide that replacements for lost or damaged licenses are only valid for the remaining term of the original license. Only when the license expires can the motorist apply for a new six-year license.
Meanwhile, the ministry held its first meeting on a three-year plan to improve the nation's public transportation system on Monday.
Officials from 25 counties and cities, including the outlying islands, attended the meeting, with each official given 10 minutes to brief the members of the review committee about their proposals.
The review committee is composed of transportation experts, as well as officials from the ministry and the Council for Economic Planning and Development, among others.
Department of Railways and Highways Director-General Chi Wen-chung (祁文中) said the ministry would not consider proposals for subsidies to purchase buses, construct bus stops or provide free bus service.
Rather, it would focus on projects that show potential for a long-term, sustainable development of the public transportation system, such as plans to connect the high speed rail stations and Taiwan Railway Administration stations to other places in town.
“From what we have heard so far, there remains a huge gap between the ministry's expectation and their understanding of the public transportation system,” Chi said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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