Starting today, people looking for someone to drive their car after having one drink too many can now use the ibon machine at 7-Eleven convenience stores.
The service is now available at 4,800 7-Eleven stores nationwide.
To access the service, customers must click on the substitute driver service icon on an ibon machine and enter their cellphone number. Within 10 minutes, Taiwan Taxi Co will send a cab and along with a substitute driver to the convenience store where the customer has placed the request. The substitute driver will drive and park the person’s car at an agreed-upon location.
The basic charge is NT$1,000 for a travel distance within 10km. Taiwan Taxi will calculate the additional cost for travel distances exceeding 10km. For customers in the latter category, the substitute driver will explain the additional cost first and will only provide the service when the service charge is agreed upon.
In cases where a customer abuses the service or calls off a deal on several occasions, he or she will be placed on blacklist.
To encourage usage of the system, people who call upon the service from today until Aug. 30 will have a chance to win a NT$1,000 gift certificate at 7-Eleven stores, a voucher for a substitute driver service within 10km and other gifts.
The service is part of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication’s campaign to reduce drunk driving.
Statistics from the ministry’s Road Traffic Safety Committee showed that the number of drunk driving violations dropped from 705 in 2006 to 387 in 2008. However, it remains one of the main causes of traffic-related fatalities and injuries.
While some cab services are already providing substitute driver services, service quality has come under fire following a series of accidents.
Actor Lee Luo (李鑼), for example, was reported to be in a dispute with a substitute driver after the driver had a traffic accident while driving Lee’s car.
Meanwhile, several new government policies are scheduled to take effect on Thursday. Motor vehicles, including cars or motorcycles, will be required to have energy efficiency labels that clearly display annual gas consumption volume, energy efficiency levels and other information.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS