《TAIPEI TIMES》Taxi fares to rise on April 1 and over Lunar New Year

By Tsai Ya-hua and Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Taxi fares in Taipei are to be raised from April next year and an extra fee is to be charged during the Lunar New Year holiday, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday.

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From Jan. 17, three days ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, to Jan. 29, an additional NT$30 is to be charged on each taxi fare, Taipei General Transportation Division Director-General Hung Yu-min （洪瑜敏） said.

Starting on April 1, taxi meter initial fares are to be raised from NT$70 to NT$85 for the first 1.25km, after which NT$5 for every 250m traveled is to be charged, Hung said.

When taxis move at less than 5kph, NT$5 for every 60 seconds is to be charged, shortened from the current 80 seconds, she added.

The Taipei City Commercial Taxi Union in March proposed to the department a raise in the initial taxi fare from NT$70 to NT$100, citing rising costs, Hung said.

The department established a review committee, which convened a meeting earlier this month, and decided on the new fare adjustments, taking into consideration taxi operators’ expenses and public cost concerns, Hung said.

The union also proposed a surcharge of NT$50 per ride on typhoon days, which was denied by the committee, she said.

The surcharge was rejected because typhoon days might not be declared in all areas, and cost equity should be maintained across Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung, Hung said, adding that the department nonetheless discourages people from leaving home during typhoons.

The adjustments were reviewed and passed in a municipal administrative meeting on Tuesday, she said.

The new fares were scheduled for April to provide taxi operators enough time to adjust their meters, she added.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES