Ministry of Transportation Plans to Amend Law to Curb Taxi License Plate Irregularities, Fines Up to NT$90,000, License Revocation
The Ministry of Transportation is considering amending regulations to address irregularities in taxi license plate fees. Some taxi companies are reportedly reselling plates at inflated prices, charging drivers NT$300,000-350,000. The proposed amendments aim to explicitly prohibit such illicit charges, imposing fines up to NT$90,000, business suspension, or license revocation. The ministry also plans to increase license plate supply and manage them based on actual demand.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 19:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 20:00 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 19:02 (191h 2m after Collected)
Taiwan has approximately 100,000 taxi license plates, with about 93,000 vehicles already registered, leaving around 6,000 vacant plates. Hu Di-chi, Director-General of the Department of Public Transportation and Supervision, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, told media that taxi regulatory authorities include special municipalities and the Directorate General of Highways. Currently, 90% of taxis are concentrated in the six special municipalities. Recently, taxi drivers reported that they had to pay NT$300,000 to NT$350,000 just to obtain a license plate, which is highly unreasonable.
She stated that initially, it was thought to be an isolated case, but it was later discovered to be widespread. Taxi license plates should inherently be priceless, but some taxi companies holding these plates have turned them into valuable transferable assets.
Hu Di-chi explained that after the amendment of the Highway Act in 1998, local governments were required to calculate and issue taxi license plates based on population ratios and road area. However, local governments, possibly due to certain factors, have rarely conducted regular reviews, leading to an imbalance in market supply and demand. Additionally, taxi companies holding vacant plates, coupled with asymmetric information regarding the number of available plates, has made drivers feel that operating conditions are unfair.
Hu Di-chi pointed out that the situation in the Taichung area is concerning, with drivers being charged NT$300,000 to NT$350,000 for license plate fees. Other counties and cities have also seen charges ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$100,000. Besides license plate fees, some unscrupulous taxi companies also charge under different pretexts, such as forcing drivers to take loans from specific companies or buy cars from them.
Regarding the extension rules for vacant plates under the "old for new" replacement scheme, Hu Di-chi noted that extensions are allowed once after a three-year expiration. Most counties and cities allow an eight-year extension, while Kaohsiung even permits a ten-year extension.
To address the issue of most local highway authorities failing to regularly review reasonable license plate quantities, leading to vacant plates being monopolized by taxi companies, Hu Di-chi stated that the Ministry of Transportation had issued a letter on March 24, requiring all highway authorities to regularly publish information on vacant plates held by taxi companies. This aims to assist in matching drivers in need of plates, accelerate the release of idle vacant plates by taxi companies, and through a review mechanism, thoroughly examine applications for extension of vacant plate retention by taxi companies, and regularly review the reasonable number of taxi license plates within their jurisdiction.
Hu Di-chi indicated that for taxi companies currently charging drivers fees under various pretexts beyond the agreed-upon contract, or improperly profiting through designated car purchases, loans, and insurance, the Regulations for Automobile Transportation Industry will be revised to explicitly prohibit such practices. It will also stipulate that the criteria for charging affiliation fees must be reported to the highway authorities and published on their websites to ensure transparency of fee information. A meeting is scheduled for April, and if all goes well, it is hoped to pass in the first half of the year. Violators could face fines ranging from NT$9,000 to NT$90,000, or even partial business suspension and revocation of business licenses.
Furthermore, to align with the amendment of Article 39-1 of the Highway Act on December 19, 2025, which relaxes the principles for issuing general taxi license plates, the Ministry of Transportation stated that it will moderately increase the supply of general taxi license plates in the future and manage them in a way that plates are issued when needed and recalled when not in use.
The Ministry of Transportation also stated that it will subsequently study mechanisms for relaxing individual taxi license plate regulations and a promotion plan for commercial electric vehicles, review relevant regulations and management mechanisms, and strengthen fleet management. This is not only to enhance the supply of accessible transportation services but also to correct the past misconception of taxi companies viewing taxi license plates as valuable assets. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150407
She stated that initially, it was thought to be an isolated case, but it was later discovered to be widespread. Taxi license plates should inherently be priceless, but some taxi companies holding these plates have turned them into valuable transferable assets.
Hu Di-chi explained that after the amendment of the Highway Act in 1998, local governments were required to calculate and issue taxi license plates based on population ratios and road area. However, local governments, possibly due to certain factors, have rarely conducted regular reviews, leading to an imbalance in market supply and demand. Additionally, taxi companies holding vacant plates, coupled with asymmetric information regarding the number of available plates, has made drivers feel that operating conditions are unfair.
Hu Di-chi pointed out that the situation in the Taichung area is concerning, with drivers being charged NT$300,000 to NT$350,000 for license plate fees. Other counties and cities have also seen charges ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$100,000. Besides license plate fees, some unscrupulous taxi companies also charge under different pretexts, such as forcing drivers to take loans from specific companies or buy cars from them.
Regarding the extension rules for vacant plates under the "old for new" replacement scheme, Hu Di-chi noted that extensions are allowed once after a three-year expiration. Most counties and cities allow an eight-year extension, while Kaohsiung even permits a ten-year extension.
To address the issue of most local highway authorities failing to regularly review reasonable license plate quantities, leading to vacant plates being monopolized by taxi companies, Hu Di-chi stated that the Ministry of Transportation had issued a letter on March 24, requiring all highway authorities to regularly publish information on vacant plates held by taxi companies. This aims to assist in matching drivers in need of plates, accelerate the release of idle vacant plates by taxi companies, and through a review mechanism, thoroughly examine applications for extension of vacant plate retention by taxi companies, and regularly review the reasonable number of taxi license plates within their jurisdiction.
Hu Di-chi indicated that for taxi companies currently charging drivers fees under various pretexts beyond the agreed-upon contract, or improperly profiting through designated car purchases, loans, and insurance, the Regulations for Automobile Transportation Industry will be revised to explicitly prohibit such practices. It will also stipulate that the criteria for charging affiliation fees must be reported to the highway authorities and published on their websites to ensure transparency of fee information. A meeting is scheduled for April, and if all goes well, it is hoped to pass in the first half of the year. Violators could face fines ranging from NT$9,000 to NT$90,000, or even partial business suspension and revocation of business licenses.
Furthermore, to align with the amendment of Article 39-1 of the Highway Act on December 19, 2025, which relaxes the principles for issuing general taxi license plates, the Ministry of Transportation stated that it will moderately increase the supply of general taxi license plates in the future and manage them in a way that plates are issued when needed and recalled when not in use.
The Ministry of Transportation also stated that it will subsequently study mechanisms for relaxing individual taxi license plate regulations and a promotion plan for commercial electric vehicles, review relevant regulations and management mechanisms, and strengthen fleet management. This is not only to enhance the supply of accessible transportation services but also to correct the past misconception of taxi companies viewing taxi license plates as valuable assets. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150407
FAQ
What is the purpose of the law amendment being considered by the Ministry of Transportation?
The purpose is to address irregularities in taxi license plate fees and prohibit improper fee collection.
What are the penalties for violations?
Violators may face fines up to NT$90,000, partial business suspension, or revocation of their business license.