foodpanda Parent Company Temporarily Rejects Uber's Bid; Union Hopes to Avoid Monopoly

Regarding Uber's evaluation of acquiring foodpanda's parent company, Delivery Hero, foodpanda stated today that the parent company has temporarily rejected the bid, and the progress of the acquisition in Taiwan remains subject to the Fair Trade Commission's review. The National Union of Automobile Transport Drivers expressed hope that Taiwan will have a platform capable of competing with Uber to maintain healthy competition and avoid a monopoly. Additionally, foodpanda stated it has no plans for motorcycle passenger services, which are not permitted under current highway laws. Grab, the Southeast Asian ride-hailing and delivery leader, submitted an application to the Fair Trade Commission on March 27 to acquire foodpanda's Taiwan business. Regarding the progress of the review, foodpanda's Public Relations and Public Affairs Director, Guo Xinyi, stated that the review is ongoing and involves Grab's commitments to the Taiwan market, so she cannot answer on their behalf. Foreign media reported that Uber is evaluating the acquisition of Delivery Hero to strengthen its competitiveness outside the US. When asked if this would affect the Taiwan acquisition, foodpanda stated this is a transaction between Uber and its parent company; the parent company has temporarily rejected the bid, and the Taiwan acquisition progress is based on the Fair Trade Commission's review, making it difficult to comment. Regarding the parent company's acquisition, Zheng Lijia, Chairman of the National Union of Automobile Transport Drivers, stated that delivery workers and the union hope Taiwan has a strong platform to compete with Uber to maintain healthy competition, with at least two players to avoid a monopoly. Regarding Uber's plan to pilot motorcycle passenger services in Beitou, foodpanda's Operations Director, Huang Zhaojie, stated there is no such plan, as they focus on food and grocery delivery, and current highway laws do not allow motorcycle passenger operations, leaving no room for discussion. Uber Eats is expected to raise prices in July due to the new delivery law. foodpanda stated it is reviewing and adjusting internal processes to minimize the impact through optimization. The delivery law significantly impacts costs, but they have not discussed direct price hikes, aiming to minimize the impact on all parties. They cannot guarantee whether prices will rise before the end of the year. The delivery law is a global first with no reference, so actual impacts need to be observed after implementation. Regarding the specific impact of the delivery law, foodpanda pointed out that the biggest impact is 'time-based pricing,' an uncertainty the industry has never faced, such as whether time spent on bathroom breaks or accidents after receiving an order is billable. They hope to reasonably reflect this for delivery workers while reducing inconvenience. foodpanda also announced today the launch of the 'Pink Delivery Three-Safety Plan' in collaboration with the National Union of Automobile Transport Drivers, focusing on road safety, food safety, and peace of mind, planning workshops for frontline delivery workers. Huang Zhaojie stated that recent surveys show consumers value road safety, meal quality, and process experience, and willingness to use the service increases with better standards. Through training and resource integration, they hope to drive positive industry upgrades. Zheng Lijia stated that the union and the platform are not in opposition; both share the goal of stable industry development, integrating practical experience from senior partners and lecturer resources to create systematic training content.