Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications has put forth new regulations designed to shield independent taxi drivers from exorbitant fees imposed by taxi companies. This initiative comes in response to grievances from drivers who claimed they were burdened with high affiliation fees to secure taxi operating licenses. The ministry highlighted that the highest fee reported was in Taichung, where drivers were charged as much as NT$350,000.
The proposed amendments would prohibit taxi companies from levying unauthorized fees not sanctioned by the authorities or outlined in contracts. Additionally, companies would be restricted from compelling drivers to buy vehicles from specific dealers or to secure loans and insurance through designated financial institutions. The new regulations would require taxi companies to gain official approval for affiliation fee standards and mandate that these standards be publicly accessible on their websites.
To ensure compliance and transparency, both drivers and taxi firms would need to keep contracts, receipts, and other transaction records available for inspection. The proposal also aims to expedite the reassignment of unused taxi quotas by reducing the minimum period from three years to one year, with an option for a one-year extension.
These regulations are anticipated to be implemented in August. Companies that breach these rules could face fines as high as NT$90,000, partial suspension of their operations, or, in severe cases, revocation of their operating licenses. Authorities would also have the power to order companies to cease improper fee collections and to reimburse any overcharges to the drivers.