Uber and other food delivery firms must insure drivers against accidents that result in death or permanent disability, an ordinance passed by the New Taipei City Council on Thursday says.
The ordinance applies to delivery platforms that are registered or provide services in the city, New Taipei City Labor Affairs Department Commissioner Chen Jui-chia (陳瑞嘉) said.
Platforms that rely on contract drivers are required to provide accident insurance guaranteeing compensation of at least NT$3 million (US$101,163), in addition to medical insurance for work-related injuries that provides full coverage or a per diem policy, Chen said.
Contravening the rules would result in a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$100,000, he said.
The ordinance stipulates that platforms must suspend services if the New Taipei City Government cancels workdays due to a natural disaster, except when there is a compelling reason to continue serving customers or when the lack of risk is self-evident, he said.
Platforms would be required to ensure that their drivers receive occupational safety training and clearly understand the app’s method of calculating pay, Chen said.
New Taipei City councilors during the second reading deleted a proposed article that would have limited the maximum number of hours drivers could work, he said.
The article was cut because it might have become a pretext for platforms to refuse to pay drivers for overtime and might contravene contractors’ right to work, Chen said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
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