In response to a series of traffic incidents involving unlicensed drivers, lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties have proposed legal amendments to impose tougher penalties on offenders.
Current regulations impose fines ranging from NT$6,000 to NT$24,000 for unlicensed driving — whether in a car or on a scooter — with the highest fines for repeat offenses within five years. Drivers who cause serious injury or death are barred from taking driving tests for four years.
Car owners who allow unlicensed drivers to use their vehicles face penalties, and their license plates can be suspended for one to six months if they commit more than three offenses within five years.
Photo: Taipei Times
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪), Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔) and Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) proposed amending the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) to raise fines to NT$60,000 to NT$200,000.
They also proposed immediate driving bans and on-the-spot vehicle seizures for offenders.
KMT lawmakers, including Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) and Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋), proposed raising fines to NT$12,000 to NT$36,000. For repeat offenses within five years, they suggested increasing fines to NT$30,000 to NT$100,000 and seizing the vehicle.
They also proposed increasing fines to NT$36,000 for offenders who drive after their licenses have been suspended or revoked.
Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers, including Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) and Lee Kuen-cheng (李坤城), proposed immediate vehicle impoundment and fines up to NT$36,000.
They also proposed suspending vehicle license plates for three months for a first offense, six months for a second within five years and one year for a third.
In 2019, there were 45,456 unlicensed driving incidents, resulting in 658 deaths and 65,155 injuries, Huang said, citing National Police Agency data.
However, in 2023, unlicensed driving incidents rose to 55,492, resulting in 763 deaths and 78,885 injuries, Huang said.
By contrast, drunk driving has declined following stricter penalties, highlighting the need for tougher laws on unlicensed driving, he said.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) on Sunday last week announced that a draft amendment was being prepared by the ministry that would treat unlicensed driving similarly to drunk driving.
The proposal includes unlimited fines for repeat offenders, on-the-spot vehicle impoundment and “harsh penalties” for owners who allow unlicensed drivers to operate their vehicles.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS