The Taipei City Government yesterday unveiled its mobile payment platform called pay.taipei.
The city’s Department of Information Technology has established the platform that can be used to pay utility bills and parking fees. Medical bills can also be paid through the service at Taipei City Hospital’s eight branches.
Speaking at a news conference yesterday morning, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that Apple founder Steve Jobs might not have been aware how much the firm’s iPhones would affect everyday life.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Pay.taipei integrates the city government’s various payment systems, Ko said, adding that the departments previously had to negotiate with different payment companies to manage the collection of parking, utility and medical fees.
“With the establishment of the new payment system, previous limitations on when and where bills could be paid will be overcome,” he said, adding that people will be able to make payments even at midnight.
Ko said electronic commerce and distribution is an economic trend that will change Taiwan and the world, adding that he hopes the nation can develop its e-commerce services as fast as China.
He will discuss e-commerce development when he attends the twin-city forum between Taipei and Shanghai next month, Ko said.
Services such as Uber, Airbnb and oBike should be managed, but not prohibited, because they are part of a global economic trend that cannot be stopped, Ko added.
The city government will foster the development of such platforms, he said.
“No matter the pace, the central government is moving forward; we [the city government] will not be dragged down,” he said, adding that there are many regulations that hinder development, but the city government will make efforts to develop e-commerce.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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