TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —Taipei City Government Department of Transportation (DOT) found the coverage rate for public bicycle injury insurance is increasing each year, but some 36.5% of riders are still uninsured.

A DOT survey found that nearly 60% of YouBike riders do not know that each card used to rent a bike requires separate insurance registration. To better protect the rights and interests of the public, riders are reminded to register for injury insurance when renting a YouBike, per Liberty Times.

Taipei City implemented free public bicycle injury insurance in 2018. Since introducing the policy, the insurance rate among YouBike users has increased yearly, and as of November, the coverage rate was 63.5%.

With the COVID pandemic easing, more foreign tourists are visiting Taiwan, with YouBike personal injury insurance extended to foreign visitors, which allows registration via passport number, giving foreign friends an extra layer of protection when traveling on YouBike.

The DOT survey also found that 30% of respondents felt that their usage rate was low and did not require insurance. It reminded the public that personal injury insurance requires registration via a real-name system with an ID number or passport number, birthday, and approval by authorities.

The DOT said public bicycle injury insurance is free of charge. It called upon the public to sign up through the official website and is encouraging them with text messages and notifications at YouBike kiosks.