Although it is nearly a month since the end of last year, some car rental companies operating welfare bus services claim they have yet to receive full payment for last year’s service from local governments, an allegation denied by officials.
“Car rental companies have complained that local governments still owe them money for the service they provided last year,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Chieh-ju (陳節如) said yesterday. “This is terrible because this is going to make bus service operators less willing to bid for welfare bus contracts from local governments.”
Chen said that it could be that some local governments have used the welfare budget for other purposes.
There are two types of welfare buses in the country: buses that provide transportation on call for the physically challenged of all age groups and a long-term care bus service for seniors.
Taiwan Car Rental and Travel Group is the biggest operator in the business.
Currently, about 70 percent of all welfare bus services run by the government are operated by the company and, according to the firm’s financial reports, it is still owed more than NT$70 million (US$2.4 million) by Taipei City, Keelung City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Pingtung counties and Greater Kaohsiung.
Taipei tops the list with a debt of NT$34 million and Taoyuan County is second with NT$24 million, according to the rental company’s records.
The Ministry of the Interior’s Department of Social Affairs -Director Huang Pi-hsia (黃碧霞) said the ministry does provide a budget for local governments to purchase buses for welfare bus services, “but if local governments would like to hire extra rental buses, it’s at their own expense.”
However, both the Taipei City and Taoyuan County governments denied the allegation.
“We have paid the rental for August and September, that’s for sure,” said Shang Chin-tang (尚錦堂), chief of the General Transportation Section of Taipei City’s Department of Transportation.
According to the car rental company’s records, Taipei City still owes for August through last month.
“I have to check about October, but I’m sure we’ve paid for August and September and the payments for November and last month are still being processed,” he said.
Taoyuan County Bureau of Transportation Director Kao Chi-pang (高基邦) said he was certain that they have paid everything.
Responding to Kao’s remarks, Taiwan Car Rental and Travel Group chief executive director Hsu Hao-yuan (徐浩源) challenged Kao to show proof of payment.
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