Cabin Scooters Could Be Allowed on Roads as Early as Second Half of 2024: Taipei City Says They Can Only Park in Car Spaces

(Central News Agency, Reporter Chen Yuting, Taipei, 4th) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications plans to allow cabin scooters with enclosed cabins and steering wheel steering systems to be used on domestic roads as early as the second half of this year. The vehicle type will be classified as a motorcycle and will use motorcycle license plates. However, drivers must hold a small car driver's license or higher, and their right of way will follow regulations for small cars, but they will not be allowed on freeways or expressways.

The Taipei City Department of Transportation held a press conference today to explain the new parking regulations. Liang Liyuan, Section Chief of the Planning Division at the Parking Management Office, stated that according to inquiries with industry players, the cabin scooters already available for pre-order are nearly 2.5 meters long and nearly 1 meter wide. If parked perpendicularly, they would protrude from motorcycle parking spaces, affecting road safety. If parked parallel, they would occupy three spaces, raising concerns about space usage. Therefore, regulations will stipulate that once on the road, they can only be parked in small car parking spaces, one vehicle per space.

Liang Liyuan indicated that while the Ministry of Transportation and Communications currently plans to allow cabin scooters to park in either small car or motorcycle parking spaces, Taipei City has submitted an official letter recommending a unified regulation that they "must" be parked in small car parking spaces and cannot be parked in motorcycle spaces. The city is also proactively communicating future regulations to the public, reminding potential buyers to consider parking locations and charging methods.

Liang Liyuan emphasized that the body structure and driving method of cabin scooters are much closer to cars. "The only thing that looks like a motorcycle is the license plate." Once on the road, they are prohibited from driving onto or parking on sidewalks or arcades (qilou). Violators will be penalized for illegal parking, with fines ranging from NT$600 to NT$1,200.

Liu Ruilin, Director of the Taipei City Parking Management Office, stated that although cabin scooters will use white, ordinary heavy motorcycle license plates, their driving and parking behaviors are more akin to cars. He advised the public to think in terms of buying a car before placing an order, and stated that parking regulations will be officially announced once the vehicles are allowed on the road.

Additionally, Liang Liyuan mentioned that Taipei City currently has 168 registered electric three-wheeled heavy motorcycles with enclosed cargo boxes. In practice, these are mostly used by freight companies with a high demand for temporary parking. Therefore, starting today, during the operational period, they will be allowed to use approximately 2,000 loading/unloading parking spaces and shared commercial temporary parking zones throughout the city. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150604