The government is obligated to review the performance of an electronic toll collection (ETC) system contractor before terminating an agreement with it, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said on Friday, in response to an online petition to have the state run the system.
Taiwanese Internet celebrity nicknamed Awater (鬼才阿水) in January proposed on the National Development Council’s Public Policy Participation Network Platform that the government take over the system from Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co (FETC). The petition garnered 5,437 signatures within 60 days. The government must respond to petitions that cross the 5,000-signature threshold.
Since it began running the freeway toll collection system in 2006, FETC has generated controversy, and the government has been accused of malfeasance by outsourcing the operation to a private company, Awater said, adding that government should take over the system when FETC’s contract expires in 2025.
The ministry outsourced the building and operation of the ETC system in accordance with the Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects (促進民間參與公共建設法), it said.
Although FETC is required to transfer the operation and ownership of the collection system to the government when the contract expires, the contract requires that the government give the firm priority to extend the agreement before its expiration should it secure a good performance rating, the ministry said.
“Whether FETC would still be running the ETC system would depend on its performance, and we will also review if it is necessary to allow the private contractor to continue operating the system,” it added.
The contractor has provided multiple ways for drivers to store money in their ETC accounts and to pay freeway toll fees, the ministry said, adding that it has adhered to the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) to protect drivers’ information.
Meanwhile, the Freeway Bureau has also stipulated regulations and standards governing the building of the ETC system, the ministry said, adding that the contractor could use the new systems as long as they pass the inspection and certification.
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