Chunghwa Post is to begin using three-wheeled electric vehicles to deliver mail and packages, with the trial service to be launched at three post offices in Taipei and New Taipei City today.
The state-run postal firm has expanded its use of electric vehicles in mail and delivery services since 2018 in compliance with the government’s policy of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Chunghwa Post chairman Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said at a ceremony in Taipei yesterday.
Two-wheeled electric scooters account for half of its delivery vehicle fleet, Wang said.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
The two-wheeled scooters can each carry about six parcels in addition to regular mail, while the three-wheeled scooters can carry up to 80 parcels, he said, adding that postal services in Japan and Australia have begun to use such vehicles to deliver mail.
Two types of three-wheeled electric scooters have been introduced — one rechargeable and the other with swappable batteries — to determine which model is better suited for Chunghwa Post’s operations, he said.
The trial program would be launched at major post offices in Taipei, as well as New Taipei City’s Banciao (板橋) and Sanchong (三重) districts, Wang said.
“We would consider expanding the use of three-wheeled electric scooters to Pingtung and Hualien counties — which tend not have a lot of packages — if the results of the trial prove to be successful,” he said.
The plan is to phase out fossil fuel-powered vehicles, with the goal of fully electrifying the mail delivery fleet by 2040, he said.
With greater capacity and extended range, three-wheeled electric scooters can meet the firm’s requirements, the company said.
One of the new vehicles would reduce net carbon emissions by about 471kg per year, it said.
Department of Mail Business and Operations director Ke Ching-chang (柯清長) said that the company has 3,630 two-wheeled electric scooters.
The company decided to introduce three-wheeled scooters after positive feedback from mail couriers, Ke said.
Using the three-wheeled scooters increases capacity and reduces safety risks for mail couriers, particularly for female riders, he said.
Forty-four three-wheeled scooters would be used during the six-month trial, with 18 assigned to Taipei Beimen Post Office, 16 to Banciao Wenhua Road Post Office and 10 to Sanchong Zhongshan Road Post Office, Ke said.
An electric three-wheeled scooter can operate at 65km while carrying 60 parcels, he said.
The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday vowed to protest at the EVA Air Marathon on Sunday next week should EVA Airway Corp’s management continue to ignore the union’s petition to change rules on employees’ leave of absence system, after a flight attendant reportedly died after working on a long-haul flight while ill. The case has generated public discussion over whether taking personal or sick leave should affect a worker’s performance review. Several union members yesterday protested at the Legislative Yuan, holding white flowers and placards, while shouting: “Life is priceless; requesting leave is not a crime.” “The union is scheduled to meet with
‘UNITED FRONT’ RHETORIC: China’s TAO also plans to hold weekly, instead of biweekly, news conferences because it wants to control the cross-strait discourse, an expert said China’s plan to expand its single-entry visa-on-arrival service to Taiwanese would be of limited interest to Taiwanese and is a feeble attempt by Chinese administrators to demonstrate that they are doing something, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said the program aims to facilitate travel to China for Taiwanese compatriots, regardless of whether they are arriving via direct flights or are entering mainland China through Hong Kong, Macau or other countries, and they would be able to apply for a single-entry visa-on-arrival at all eligible entry points in China. The policy aims
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
EVA Airways president Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) and other senior executives yesterday bowed in apology over the death of a flight attendant, saying the company has begun improving its health-reporting, review and work coordination mechanisms. “We promise to handle this matter with the utmost responsibility to ensure safer and healthier working conditions for all EVA Air employees,” Sun said. The flight attendant, a woman surnamed Sun (孫), died on Friday last week of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy, the airline said. Chinese-language media reported that the woman fell ill working on a Taipei-to-Milan flight on Sept. 22
RSS