Uber drivers face tougher punishment from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications after new standards to penalize illegal taxi drivers took effect yesterday.
Statistics from the Directorate-General of Highways showed that Uber Taiwan had 276 recorded violations, with the fines topping NT$37.7 million (US$1.16 million).
The highway authority has also been cracking down on drivers recruited by Uber Taiwan, filing 277 violations. The penalties imposed on these drivers totaled NT$12.05 million.
Even though the fines total almost NT$50 million, the ride-sharing firm remains undeterred and continues to recruit drivers.
The ministry said the Uber drivers were fined NT$50,000 each time they were caught and faced a two-month license suspension. The penalty for drivers who are caught twice was also NT$50,000, but their licenses were suspended for three months as well.
The new standards maintain the fines for first-time offenders, but they face a NT$100,000 fine and a six-month license suspension for a second offense.
Drivers who repeat the offense more than six months after their first violation face a fine of NT$60,000 and a license suspension of three months.
The ministry said third and fourth-time offenders would see their penalties rise to NT$70,000 and NT$80,000 and have their licenses suspended for four months and five months respectively.
Drivers found to have violated the regulations five times or more are to be fined NT$100,000 for each violation and face a suspension of their license for six months.
In response, Uber Taiwan said that drivers are an integral part of its business and that it would do everything it could to support drivers who are affected by the policy.
The company also said that it would continue seeking negotiations with the Executive Yuan.
An alleged US government plan to encourage Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to form a joint venture with Intel to boost US chipmaking would place the Taiwanese foundry giant in a more disadvantageous position than proposed tariffs on imported chips, a semiconductor expert said yesterday. If TSMC forms a joint venture with its US rival, it faces the risk of technology outflow, said Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Industry Economics Database of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. A report by international financial services firm Baird said that Asia semiconductor supply chain talks suggest that the US government would
ANNUAL LIGHT SHOW: The lanterns are exhibited near Taoyuan’s high-speed rail station and around the Taoyuan Sports Park Station of the airport MRT line More than 400 lanterns are to be on display at the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival, which officially starts in Taoyuan today. The city is hosting the festival for the second time — the first time was in 2016. The Tourism Administration held a rehearsal of the festival last night. Chunghwa Telecom donated the main lantern of the festival to the Taoyuan City Government. The lanterns are exhibited in two main areas: near the high-speed rail (HSR) station in Taoyuan, which is at the A18 station of the Taoyuan Airport MRT, and around the Taoyuan Sports Park Station of the MRT
Starlux Airlines on Tuesday announced it is to launch new direct flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Ontario, California, on June 2. The carrier said it plans to deploy the new-generation Airbus A350 on the Taipei-Ontario route. The Airbus A350 features a total of 306 seats, including four in first class, 26 in business class, 36 in premium economy and 240 in economy. According to Starlux’s initial schedule, four flights would run between Taoyuan and Ontario per week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights are to depart from Taoyuan at 8:05pm and arrive in California at 5:05pm (local time), while return flights
Nearly 800 Indian tourists are to arrive this week on an incentive tour organized by Indian company Asian Painted Ltd, making it the largest tour group from the South Asian nation to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic. The travelers are scheduled to arrive in six batches from Sunday to Feb. 25 for five-day tours, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The tour would take the travelers, most of whom are visiting Taiwan for the first time, to several tourist sites in Taipei and Yilan County, including tea houses in Taipei’s Maokong (貓空), Dadaocheng (大稻埕) and Ximending (西門町) areas. They would also visit