Members of a taxi drivers’ union yesterday protested outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office before filing charges against Uber Taiwan general manager Gu Li-kai (顧立楷) for violations of the Company Act (公司法), as controversy continues over how to respond to the ride-hailing app.
“We are here today because the government has disappointed us with its lack of action, and we hope that the courts can provide us and consumers with appropriate guarantees,” Taipei City Professional Drivers’ Union president Cheng Li-chia (鄭力嘉) said.
“The Ministry of Transportation and Communications says they will not allow Uber to continue operating as long as it is illegal, but it has already been four years since the firm’s entrance — what the hell are they doing?” he said, while criticizing the ministry’s plans to loosen taxi regulations to allow for “diversification.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“They came up with these plans only after Uber’s entrance and have not paid much attention to our voice in discussions,” he said. “What they have repeatedly said is that they want to help us compete with Uber — but how are we supposed to compete with something that is illegal?”
Taxi drivers say that the firm’s operations violate the Highway Act (公路法), adding that tax avoidance and exemptions from insurance requirements give Uber drivers unfair advantages, leading to predatory pricing.
Cheng also condemned reports that the Executive Yuan was considering freezing a possible revocation of Uber’s investment permit by the Investment Commission as it considers legal amendments to facilitate legalization.
“If the license is not revoked before Friday next week, we will act immediately and take to the streets,” he said, adding that some drivers suggested blocking major arteries in protest.
“Our position is that Uber’s current mode of providing services is illegal. We will continue to investigate and fine the firm,” Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) said, denying the ministry’s position had changed.
Investment Commission Executive Secretary Emile Chang (張銘斌) denied that a decision has been made on whether to revoke the firm’s investment permit, saying a decision would be made next week.
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