New government measures — from heavier fines for drunk driving to vinegar labeling — are scheduled to take effect on Monday.
Penalties for driving a vehicle while intoxicated are to rise to between NT$30,000 and NT$120,000 (US$964 to US$3,857) from between NT$19,500 and NT$90,000 for a first-time offense.
However, fines for driving a scooter while intoxicated would be unchanged at NT$19,500 to NT$90,000 for first-time offenders.
Repeat offenders would face stiffer penalties, the Department of Railways and Highways said.
Those with two offenses in five years would face fines of NT$90,000 to NT$120,000 for the second offense, according to a March amendment to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), with each subsequent offense being fined an additional NT$90,000.
The minimum fine for refusing to take an alcohol test would be doubled to NT$180,000, the department said, adding that there is an additional NT$180,000 fine per offense after the second time.
Drunk drivers would face a two-year license suspension, while scooter drivers would face a one-year suspension.
Those carrying children under 12 years of age or who injure others would face a suspension of two to four years.
Police could confiscate a vehicle on the spot when an offense leads to severe injury or death.
Passengers aged 18 or older — except for elderly people, mentally challenged people, and taxi or bus passengers — would be fined NT$600 to NT$3,000 for riding with a drunk driver.
Drivers who refuse to yield to ambulances or fire engines would be fined NT$3,600 — or NT$6,000 to NT$90,000 if it leads to a fatal accident — and would have their licenses revoked.
Campers are to be registered as small cargo vehicles, but must be equipped with fire extinguishers for owners to be issued a license plate.
Following changes to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), companies with 200 to 299 employees must hire professionals to conduct health exams. The healthcare providers must first take courses on occupational safety and health, and learn how to conduct health risk assessments.
Vinegar manufacturers would be required to clearly label how products are made: Whether it was produced through the fermentation of grains, fruits, a mixture of two or more natural ingredients or by combining diluted acetic acid with sugar or artificial food additives.
Manufacturers claiming to have used fermented natural ingredients while actually using chemicals to make vinegar would face fines of NT$40,000 to NT$4 million.
Partially hydrogenated oils are banned. Food manufacturers breaking the law would be fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million.
Also, capsules may not contain sennosides, a type of medication used to treat constipation and empty the large intestine before surgery.
Toothpastes, shower gels, shampoos, facial cleansers and other personal hygiene products may not contain microbeads or plastic particles, which pollute bodies of water.
Restaurant operators are banned from providing dine-in customers with plastic straws.
THREATS: Naval facilities have been built in Shanghai and Zhejiang, while airbases have been expanded in Xiamen, Fuzhou and Zhangpu, across the Strait from Taiwan The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is building large-scale military infrastructure at five sites along the eastern coast of China, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a recent report. The latest issue of the council’s Mainland China Situation Quarterly said satellite photos showed military infrastructure such as air force and naval bases being constructed along the eastern coast of China. That means the CCP might be preparing for potential conflict in Taiwan, it said, adding that there are five such construction sites from north to south. A naval base has been built in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, with underground oil storage tanks, railway
MILESTONE: The foreign minister called the signing ‘a major step forward in US-Taiwan relations,’ while the Presidential Office said it was a symbol of the nations’ shared values US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the state department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct a review “not less than every five years.” It must then submit an updated report based on its findings “not later
A trial run of the north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s new Terminal 3 is to commence today, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The eight additional boarding gates would allow for more aircraft parking spaces that are expected to boost the airport’s capacity by 5.8 million passengers annually, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said. The concourse, designed by a team led by British architect Richard Rogers, provides a refreshing space, Lin said, adding that travelers would enjoy the tall and transparent design that allows sunshine to stream into the concourse through glass curtain walls. The
The Presidential Office today thanked the US for enacting the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law, signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday, is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct such a review "not less than every five years." It must then submit an updated
RSS