TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The minimum taxi fair in Greater Taipei will be raised to NT$85 (US$2.77) in April next year, while the prolonged metering rate will be changed to NT$5 for every 60 seconds.

Due to inflation and other economic pressures, the Taipei Taxi Drivers Union in March issued a proposal to the Taipei City Public Transportation Office that the minimum fare be raised from the current NT$70 for the first 1.25 kilometers to NT$100. It also suggested the prolonged metering rate be adjusted from the current NT$5 for every 80 seconds a taxi moves slower than 5 kph to 60 seconds.

At the beginning of this month, the Taipei City Government convened a committee to deliberate this change and has made a final decision. The new starting fare for taxis in the Greater Taipei Area, which includes Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Keelung City, will be raised to NT$85 and the prolonged metering rate will be changed to 60 seconds, effective April 1, 2023.

The additional fare for the coming Lunar New Year holiday, which runs from Jan. 17-29, 2023, will remain NT$30 as it was during the previous Lunar New Year. In addition, given that many drivers set their own rate during typhoons, when there are office closures due to a typhoon or heavy rain, there will be an additional NT$50 charged per trip.

Liang Ping-liang (梁平良), chairman of the Taipei Taxi Commercial Association, said that some members believed that the price for typhoon and heavy rain days should be considered carefully and not be changed this year. Since it also involves modifying the meters, Liang said that the new system will be launched in April next year.

He said that during the Lunar New Year, many people in Taipei returned to their hometowns for the festival, resulting in Taipei City emptying out. The original union proposal was to have the higher Lunar New Year rate last for 15 days, but after discussion, the committee decided to set it for 13 days.