The Directorate-General of Highways yesterday issued 12 fines to Uber Taiwan and motorcyclists working for its food delivery service UberEats, with the penalties on the first day of the service topping NT$600,000 (US$18,826).
The company violated article 77 of the Highway Act (公路法), the DGH said, adding that each contravention is liable to a penalty of between NT$50,000 and NT$150,000.
Motorcyclists working as couriers for UberEats could see their licenses suspended for between two and six months, the directorate said.
The directorate said that it launched the crackdown on Uber motorcyclists between 11am and 2pm yesterday at restaurants listed by the app, adding that it would continue to pursue delivery drivers so long as Uber is provideing the service illegally.
The launch of UberEats has disrupted the market order and affected the businesses of legal operators, the directorate said.
UberEats users do not have to pay for delivery costs during the service’s promotional phase, and there is no minimum order, the company said, adding that UberEats would deliver to a customer who orders only one bubble tea.
To address the issue, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said a proposal to amend the Highway Act to increase the punishments on illegal taxi operators is to be deliberated at the Legislative Yuan on Nov. 28.
The amendment, proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party caucus, would increase the possible fines from the current NT$50,000 to NT$150,000 to NT$100,000 to NT$25 million.
The amendment would also allow members of the public to claim financial rewards for helping the government clamp down on Uber drivers.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications said in a statement that it would ask the Ministry of Health and Welfare to look into how the food is delivered by UberEats, adding that the eateries should be held accountable if they compromise the safety of the deliveries by failing to follow due procedures and or by working with illegal delivery service providers.
The transportation ministry said that it would also send an official notice to Apple Inc and Google Inc, the developers of the iOS and Android operating systems respectively, asking them to remove apps that are being used by consumersto engage in illegal activities.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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