Want China Times, CNA 2014-07-05
Uber, a San Francisco-based transportation networking company that makes mobile apps which allows customers to book and track vehicles for hire, is seeking to introduce the new technology to Taiwan, an official from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Friday.
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| An advertisement for Uber's taxi hailing app. (Photo/Uber) |
Uber, a San Francisco-based transportation networking company that makes mobile apps which allows customers to book and track vehicles for hire, is seeking to introduce the new technology to Taiwan, an official from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Friday.
Ministry
officials said they were still assessing whether the company's services are
legitimate and violate any local transportation rules.
Uber has
begun soliciting members in Taiwan through the internet by launching discounts.
The apps,
when downloaded to the user's smartphone, detect the Global Positioning
System's (GPS) space-based satellite navigation system and finds the nearest
available driver who is a member of the network.
Customers
can hail a private car, track the car's progress on a map, pay the driver, and
even split the fare with friends using a credit card system, all via the Uber
smartphone app that connects passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire and
ridesharing services, according to the company website.
In addition
to car-for-hire services, Uber also offers taxi services, which allow customers
to book and pay for taxi journeys, according to the ministry.
Wang
Mu-heng, deputy director of the ministry's Department of Railways and Highways,
said under existing rules, drivers who work for car-for-hire companies cannot
directly receive assignments from customers, Wang added.
Wang said
if Uber cooperates with car-for-hire companies to supply car hiring services,
then these companies can use the app to communicate with customers and assign
drivers to pick up customers and accept payments.
If Uber
collaborates with taxi-cab companies, it will need to be licensed to become a
taxi services provider and cannot offer discounts, according to Wang. He added
that they should charge customers taxi fares based on a flag-down fare and the
distance traveled in accordance with related regulations.
Uber has
filed applications to operate information management, business consulting and
even third-party payment services, the ministry said.
It said it
was concerned about the operating methods of Uber, however, given that if
disputes arise from such services, consumers' rights are at stake. The ministry
has therefore decided to consult with government agencies to look into whether Uber's
operations are legitimate.
The
ministry said car-for-hire providers could face fines of NT$9,000 (US$300) to
NT$90,000 (US$3,000) and taxi companies could be fined NT$50,000 (US$1,700) to
NT$150,000 (US$5,000), if they are found to be in violation of the law.
Apps using
Uber's technology were first launched in 2009 and are currently in operation in
more than 70 cities in 37 countries.
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