Chunghwa Post might begin testing uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to deliver mail to Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) from March next year, the Institute of Transportation said yesterday.
The move is part of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ push to increase the commercial use of drones, the institute said, adding that the postal company previously tested UAVs for mail delivery in Tainan’s Zuojhen District (左鎮) and on Alishan.
In Tainan, the drones carried 5kg shipments of peaches from farms in the district to the Zuojhen Post Office, cutting what is typically a 90-minute truck route to 15 minutes, it said.
On Alishan, UAVs delivered medical supplies to isolated communities, it said.
Both trials were aimed at testing the feasibility of using drones for deliveries, but did not investigate the commercial viability of such a delivery method, it said.
The institute is in March to start accepting bids from drone operators that would conform to the cost and service needs of Chunghwa Post, it said, adding that it would perform trial runs after bids are awarded.
It takes about 45 minutes to reach the Siaoliouciou post office from Pingtung County’s Donggang Township (東港), about 16km away, Chunghwa Post said.
The company transports 500kg to 800kg daily between the post offices, and is sometimes unable to make deliveries in winter when seas are rough, it said.
UAVs could help overcome the challenges of the sea, but they also come with their own limitations, it said, citing a weight limit of 20kg per delivery, and their inability to carry heavy loads in strong winds.
“Cost is also an issue. When we used drones to deliver fruit in Tainan we discovered that the associated costs were higher than the value of the fruit,” it said, adding that costs would have to be reduced for the delivery model to be commercially viable.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
RSS