A new plan from the Transportation Ministry may resolve the issues surrounding the legality of Uber in Taiwan. The mobile app-based taxi service has proved popular in Taiwan as in other markets but is officially illegal. It was also reported Tuesday that the company would have its investment license revoked following mass protests by local taxi drivers.
Now the government says it plans to amend regulations to establish a fair business environment that could give Uber a path to operating legally. The “Multiple Taxis” plan is a proposal the Transportation Ministry began to look at late last year. At the time, the idea was to introduce more flexible taxi rates and allow different color cabs. The ministry said for the first time on Thursday that the plan may be a way for Uber to integrate itself legally into the market and work alongside existing service providers. But ministry official Lee Chao-hsien was keen to point out that the plan was not drafted specifically with Uber in mind.
Lee said, "The cabinet said previously that it has a Multiple Taxi plan that it is promoting. But I should say that this was essentially aimed at bringing existing taxi service providers up to a level that consumers expect in terms of service and excellence. The question of whether Uber wants to take part in this plan iss not the main point of what we were originally considering."
Uber Asia Pacific spokesperson Harod Li welcomed the olive branch. He said Uber is happy to see that Taiwan is willing to subject the new model of the sharing economy to regulation.