Taipei authorities have issued a public warning urging people not to ride bicycles after consuming alcohol, following a sharp rise in riding under the influence (DUI) cases involving bicycles.
Five hundred and seven people were charged with DUI last year while riding YouBikes, personal bicycles, or other self-propelled two-wheelers — a fourfold increase from the previous year, data released by the Taipei Police Department’s Traffic Division showed.
Of these, 33 cases were considered severe enough to be prosecuted under “offenses against public safety,” the data showed.
Photo: CNA
Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), bicycles — including YouBikes and other pedal-powered or electric-assisted vehicles with a top speed of 25kph or less — fall under the category of “slow-moving vehicles” (慢車). This also includes electric scooters and skateboards.
While bicycles are generally considered safer and slower, riding under the influence still poses a serious public safety risk, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei Councilor Tseng Hsien-ying (曾獻瑩) said on Sunday.
“Offenders can be prosecuted under the Criminal Code for public safety violations and face criminal penalties,” Tseng said. “However, many people mistakenly believe that riding a bicycle after drinking only results in a warning, not legal action — yet it is becoming an increasingly serious road safety issue in the city.”
Tseng attributed the situation to a general lack of awareness about traffic laws, calling it a blind spot in law enforcement and public education.
He urged the Taipei City Government to intensify public legal education campaigns about traffic regulations — especially during high-risk periods and in incident-prone areas — and to install warning signs at YouBike stations to remind riders of the consequences of riding under the influence.
A Taipei traffic police officer said officers monitor slow-moving vehicles for signs of erratic behavior such as swerving or drifting out of bike lanes.
If alcohol use is suspected, such as from the smell of a rider’s breath, officers would stop the cyclist and administer a breath alcohol test.
If a rider is found to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeding the legal limit of 0.15 milligrams per liter (about 0.03 percent BAC), they are in violation of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, the officer said.
Contraveners face a fine ranging from NT$1,200 to NT$2,400 and would be prohibited from continuing to ride, the officer added.
Those who refuse to take breath alcohol test can be fined NT$4,800, the officer said.
If the bicycle or device involved has auxiliary power — such as electric-assist systems — the rider might also face charges under the Criminal Code for offenses against public safety, which carry more serious legal consequences, the officer added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS