The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday promised to consider withdrawing ride-sharing app Uber’s business license within a month, following a protest by hundreds of taxi drivers who gathered in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to demand a crackdown.
Following a meeting with taxi driver representatives, Investment Commission Executive Secretary Emile Chang (張銘斌) said the commission would act within a month, as soon as the Ministry of Transportation and Communications provided evidence that the firm was conducting a “transportation” business, rather an “information management” business, under which it registered.
The meeting was arranged by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Hsuen-sheng (陳雪生) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺), co-conveners of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee and Economics Committee respectively, to facilitate talks between drivers and the representatives of several ministries.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Drivers also demanded that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications enforce a ban on carrying paying passengers in personal vehicles; that the Fair Trade Commission punish the firm for unfair competition; that the Ministry of Finance investigate tax avoidance by the firm and its drivers; and that amendments to the Highway Act (公路法) to increase fines and other penalties are enforced.
Protesting drivers yelled that they were fighting for justice and survival, with horn blasts from their vehicles audible throughout the Legislative Yuan yesterday afternoon.
Drivers smashed the windows of a car made to represent Uber, stuffing the gaps with protest placards and stomping on top of the car before overturning it.
“Uber is stealing our rice bowl, making it extremely difficult for taxi drivers to make a living,” said Liang Ping-liang (梁平良) the president of the national Taxicab and Intercity Bus Business Association, adding that the taxi business has fallen nationally by between 30 and 50 percent since Uber started up three years ago.
“Legal drivers have go through testing and rigorous training and study before getting our licenses and registration, but Uber drivers do not have get anything, in addition to not paying taxes and insurance,” he said, accusing ministries of failing to enforce Highway Act restrictions.
“Ideally, we want to drive them out of Taiwan and make it so that there is no way for them to survive here or put down roots,” he said.
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