Aborigines who prefer using their traditional name on their driver’s license will be able to do so after the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) issues a new version of the document next month.
Hsieh Chieh-tien (謝界田), director of the DGH’s motor vehicle division, said the old version of the document could only accommodate a maximum of eight Chinese characters in the name column. However, after the government allowed Aborigines to identify themselves using their traditional name in 1995, some discovered that their name — with as many as 15 characters — could not fit in the name column.
“[Because of the limitation in length of the column], the names printed on the driver’s license was incomplete and therefore inconsistent with the ones printed on their ID card,” Hsieh said.
The new driver’s license will expand the name column to fit a maximum of 24 characters, Hsieh said, adding that the directorate had removed the column for blood type to make room for the name column.
Other items, including the size and color of the driver’s license, remain unchanged.
Hsieh said vehicle registration departments nationwide would start taking applications from Aborigines seeking a name change on their driver’s license on July 1, even if their document has yet to expire. The change is free of charge.
Holders of the old version do not need to apply for a new one as long as it is still valid, he said.
In related news, drivers should brace for heavy traffic on freeways near the toll station in Taishan, New Taipei City (新北市), next month, after the National Expressway Engineering Bureau announced that it would start closing some of the toll booths ahead of construction work on July 6.
The bureau said construction would last until Sept. 20 next year and would affect only manned toll booths. The electronic toll-collecting system will remain operational during that period.
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