Ride-hailing company Uber’s Taiwan branch launched a new promotional campaign yesterday, three days after the legislature passed an amendment to allow enhanced fines against entities that operate illegal passenger transportation services.
As part of the promotion, Uber is offering a NT$10,000 (US$313) coupon to clients who post a selfie with an Uber driver on Facebook and a hashtag of a specified Uber message between yesterday and Friday next week.
“Regardless of the obstacles along the road, no matter how many small rocks blocking the way, Uber strives to walk with you,” it said on its home page.
The recent amendment to the Highway Act (公路法), which many believe was targeted at the San Francisco-based firm, increases the fines against operators such as Uber from between NT$50,000 and NT$150,000 to between NT$100,000 and NT$25 million.
It also states that providers of illegal transportation services could be forced to close down and it established a reward system to encourage tip-offs.
The amendment also states that drivers caught working for an illegal ride-sharing company will have both their vehicle’s registration and their driver’s license terminated or suspended for four to 12 months.
Uber was registered in Taiwan four years ago as an information services firm, but taxi drivers have accused it of illegally operating a transportation service.
It reportedly has more than 10,000 drivers in Taiwan and its app has been downloaded 1 million times in the nation.
The government has imposed multiple fines on Uber on the basis that it is operating illegally, but the service has continued, sparking major protests by taxi drivers who have accused Uber drivers of not paying taxes on their income as cab drivers do.
Uber has been fined a total of NT$66.05 million as of Friday for 465 violations, and its drivers have been fined a total of NT$20.028 million, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said.
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