Uber is allegedly still offering illegal short-distance scooter rides in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), despite fines imposed by the Taipei City Government, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus said yesterday, accusing the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of shirking its duties.
On July 1, Uber launched a one-month “cultural experience” in Beitou, offering free short-distance scooter rides for a limited period and within a limited area.
After receiving complaints, the Taipei Department of Transportation on Wednesday last week said it fined Rides Formosa Co NT$500,000 and the Uber platform NT$100,000 for contravening the Highway Act (公路法).
Photo: CNA
The drivers involved were also fined NT$100,000, and their vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses were suspended, it said.
Current laws do not permit scooters to be used for commercial passenger transport, the department said, adding that operators should not offer such services under the guise of free promotional campaigns in an attempt to effectively legalize the practice.
It also urged drivers not to defy the law for the sake of lucrative bonuses, warning them not to risk heavy penalties for short-term gain.
At a news conference in Taipei, the TPP caucus said the ministry was shirking its responsibilities, adding that the electric scooter option remained visible on the Uber app.
TPP Legislator Chen Gao-tzu (陳昭姿) displayed a screenshot of the app, saying that despite the fines, the “pure electric scooter Uber” option was still visible yesterday on the platform for rides requested from MRT Xinbeitou Station.
Beitou is a popular destination for international tourists, but when the TPP caucus asked the ministry what would happen if a tourist unknowingly took an illegal ride and was involved in an accident, the ministry merely replied that it “supports local governments in administering according to the law,” Chen said.
The government spends a large amount of money each year to attract foreign tourists, yet it allows platforms to illegally solicit passengers and pushes the responsibility to local governments when things go wrong, TPP caucus whip Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) said.
“Is the central government only capable of passing the buck,” he asked.
SOUTHBOUND POLICY: Agencies said Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines would benefit from continuation of the program, but Cambodia was rebuffed over rhetoric Conditional visa waiver programs for holders of Thai, Bruneian and Philippine passports are to be extended to July 31 next year to help implement Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said on Friday. The decision was a result of cross-ministry meetings chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since April 21 for a comprehensive review of the ministry’s visa waiver program for Thai, Brunei and Philippine nationals, the Ministry of the Interior’s Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC), and the Ministry of Transportation and Communication’s Guanhong Project (觀宏專案), also known as the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group
Taiwan will remove Cambodia from two visa facilitation programs on Aug. 1, while extending eased entry arrangements for Thailand, India and several other Southeast and South Asian countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. Cambodian nationals will no longer be eligible for the Guanhong Project, which eases visa requirements for certain tour groups, or the Travel Authorization Certificate program, which offers conditional visa-free entry, MOFA said. In a news release, the ministry said Cambodia had failed to reciprocate Taiwan’s goodwill and had instead echoed China in statements undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty. MOFA also accused Cambodia of appearing to support Beijing’s possible use of
Travel agencies and hotels offering airport pickup services face fines beginning next month if they continue to hold space in arrival halls with placards, luggage or other personal items, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said in a letter to operators. As the number of visitors to Taiwan continues to grow, many travel agencies and hotels provide meet-and-greet services that allow arriving travelers to head directly to their hotels or begin their itineraries upon landing. However, some pickup personnel have been occupying the wall near the exit of the arrival hall with signs, luggage and personal items, obstructing passenger flow, disrupting terminal
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday said that two additional batches of cooking oil produced by Central Union Oil Corp had been found to contain excessive levels of the carcinogen benzopyrene. The contamination was traced to two tainted downstream products, bringing the total number of affected soybean-based cooking oil batches to seven of the 30 batches produced by the company from April to June, the agency said. The tainted oil has affected a total of 1,322 businesses, it added. As of 11am yesterday, 2,584.4 tonnes of contaminated oil products had been removed from shelves, while another 5,126.7 tonnes had been preemptively withdrawn
RSS