The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) said yesterday at least 127 of its employees, including 10 station chiefs, had changed the configuration of EasyCards to ride the MRT for free.
The financial loss is estimated at NT$500,000.
TRTC transportation affairs manager Tan Kuo-kuang (譚國光) said an investigation by the corporation found the employees involved in the scandal included those in charge of administrative affairs at various stations and some station chiefs.
Almost every station was involved, Tang said, but the corporation was still investigating whether employees had helped their relatives and friends travel for free.
"The corporation found in mid-December that some EasyCards had been reconfigured too frequently, so we started a weeklong investigation," Tang said.
The TRTC looked at EasyCard swiping records and compared them with employees' time sheets, finding that its own employees were responsible for changing the configuration of the cards.
Between mid-November and the middle of last month, the TRTC found, there were 127 employees who entered the stations normally, but changed the configuration during their shifts so that they didn't have to pay when they left the stations.
During that time period, the cards were changed about 3,000 times and the loss totalled about NT$67,000.
Tang said the TRTC estimated that before mid-November the cards changed more than 10,000 times.
The company has demanded those involved admit to their actions, but so far the number of those who have come forward has not been very large.
"Those involved were disciplined last Friday. Their performance records have been downgraded one level, they have been deprived of a bonus of over NT$10,000 and their responsibility will be adjusted. The station chiefs involved will be demoted to a non-managerial position," Tang said.
Tang said whether these employees will face charges or not will depend on a Taipei City Government investigation. The government has formed a task force to investigate the scandal.
TRTC chairman Chen Chun-liang (
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said, "After the investigation's report is released, it will be decided whether higher officials will be disciplined."
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