By Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNA

Uber is allegedly still offering illegal short-distance scooter rides in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), despite receiving fines from the Taipei City Government, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus said today, calling on the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to take responsibility.

On July 1, Uber launched a one-month “cultural experience” in Beitou, offering free short-distance scooter rides within a limited time and area.

After receiving complaints, the Taipei Department of Transportation on Wednesday last week said it levied fines for contraventions of the Highway Act (公路法), handing Rides Formosa Co NT$500,000 for its first contravention and the Uber platform NT$100,000.

Photo: Taipei Times

The drivers involved were also fined NT$100,000, and their vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses were suspended, it said.

Current laws do not permit scooters to be used for commercial passenger transport, the department said, adding that operators should not offer such services under the guise of free promotional campaigns in an attempt to effectively legalize the practice locally.

It also urged drivers not to defy the law for the sake of lucrative bonuses, warning them not to risk heavy penalties for short-term gain.

At a news conference today, the TPP caucus accused the ministry of shirking its responsibilities, saying the electric scooter option remained visible on the Uber app.

TPP Legislator Chen Gao-tzu (陳昭姿) displayed a screenshot of the app, saying that despite the fines being issued, the “pure electric scooter Uber” option was still visible on the platform as of yesterday when requesting a ride from MRT Xinbeitou Station.

Beitou is a popular destination for international tourists, but when the TPP caucus asked the ministry what would happen if a tourist unknowingly took an illegal ride and got into an accident, the ministry merely said that it “supports local governments in administering according to the law,” Chen said.

The government spends a massive budget each year to attract foreign tourists, yet it allows platforms to illegally solicit passengers and pushes the responsibility to local governments when things go wrong, TPP caucus whip Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍).

“Is the central government only capable of passing the buck?” he asked.