Government to subsidize taxi driver shift to
hybrid vehicles
2012/11/20 20:15:17
Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) The Ministry of
Transportation and Communications announced Tuesday that starting
next year, drivers of old taxis will receive a subsidy of NT$115,000 (US$3,956) if they
phase them out and replace them with hybrid vehicles.
That's 10% price of a
Camry Hybrid sold in Taiwan
The new subsidy follows other incentives offered to taxi drivers
recently to upgrade their vehicles.
The ministry began offering a subsidy of NT$30,000 in 2011 to
phase out 14-year-old taxi
cabs for new ones. That grant was raised to NT$40,000 this
year and could be applied to taxis of only seven or more
years.
Our Taxi 7-8 years scrap
liao
"The new subsidy is part of the ministry's effort to
continue to improve the operating environment of taxi drivers
and upgrade the service quality," the ministry said.
The ministry said that with continued hikes in gasoline prices,
taxi drivers could cut their gas consumption in half by shifting to
a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle and
save around NT$6,500 per month.
Because hybrids are more expensive than similar sized
gasoline-powered cars, however, the ministry decided to offer a
higher subsidy to taxi drivers who opt to replace older vehicles
with hybrids.
The ministry estimates that there are more than 80,000 taxi cabs in
Taiwan, of which 50,000 are in
Taipei.
Taipei =
271 square KM Singapore = 710 suqare
KM
50K taxi vs 25K taxi....of
course easier to get lah...
Meanwhile, to promote barrier-free transportation options, the
ministry also announced a subsidy of
NT$400,000 for taxi drivers who agree to provide barrier-free
services.
If can own taxi and
government subsidising 40% of a vehicle price I believe a lot of us
dun mind taking wheelchair pax loh.....tio
bo?
Many local governments currently provide minibuses for the elderly,
pregnant women and people who use wheelchairs.
But due to the limited number of minibuses, the ministry is
encouraging local governments and taxi drivers to also provide
barrier-free services, which is expected to
start in the first quarter of 2013 at the
earliest.
