Kicked Out of a Taxi and Charged Fare: Taoyuan Department of Transportation Says Fines Possible If True

CENTRAL NEWS

(Central News Agency reporter Wu Rui-chi, Taoyuan, 4th) A netizen posted online about being kicked out of a queueing taxi at Taoyuan Railway Station after only 3 seconds and still being charged NT$100. The Taoyuan City Department of Transportation today stated that if the allegations are verified, the operator could be fined up to NT$90,000 under the Highway Act.

A female passenger posted online, stating that she boarded a queueing taxi at the Wanshou Road exit of Taoyuan Railway Station. Before getting in, she asked the driver if he could go to Taoyuan Airport and was informed the fare would be about NT$500. Unexpectedly, after the car had moved for only about 3 seconds, the driver suddenly changed his mind, telling her to take the public bus ahead and demanded a NT$100 fare.

The female passenger told the driver that it was 1:30 PM at the time, but the bus wouldn't depart until 2:00 PM, and she needed to take a taxi to the airport due to time constraints. However, the driver only replied, "I thought the bus was about to leave," and then offered to find another car to help, but only queueing taxis were available at the scene. After the female passenger refused and asked to get out, the driver then claimed the car was running out of battery. The process took about 1 minute of driving, with no progress towards the airport, yet the driver demanded payment and even suggested calling the police.

The female passenger subsequently reported the incident to the police. After police arrived and understood the situation, the case was handed over to the Department of Transportation for follow-up. The Taoyuan City Department of Transportation said that regarding public feedback about taxi drivers not charging according to the meter, if the information provided by the public is verified as true, the operator will be fined between NT$9,000 and NT$90,000 under the Highway Act. (Edited by Chang Ming-kun)