TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Taiwan now has an average of 62.7 scooters for every 100 people, a new record high.
Taiwan remains the “Kingdom of Scooters" because of affordability, short urban travel distances, and limited public transportation options, per TVBS. With Taiwan Railways ticket prices set to rise by 27%, public willingness to use mass transit may take another hit.
MOTC data shows that in the first two months of this year, the number of registered scooters reached 14.662 million, which is 6,000 more than in 2024. Yang Ta-kuan (楊大寬), deputy director of public relations at the Formosa Motorcycle Rights Association, told TVBS that Taiwan's subtropical climate is ideal for scooter usage.
Yang said Taiwan's cities are mostly industrial and commercial mixed-use zones, making average daily destinations within 10 to 15 minutes. He said, "Both mainstream and subcultures in Taiwan still view owning a vehicle, whether a car or scooter as more fashionable."
With over 14 million scooters on the road, safety continues to be a serious concern. Yang said, “If Taiwan adopted the licensing standards used in Japan or Europe, the number of people allowed to drive or ride would probably drop by at least one-third, because the problem lies with the people operating the vehicles."
He concluded that scooters will continue to be ubiquitous in Taiwan. “Riding scooters is still a top choice for people in Taipei and New Taipei, even with MRT stations nearby,” said Yang.
Scooter prices of up to NT$80,000 (US$2,500) are still considered affordable by many consumers. A woman surnamed Chuang, who bought a NT$100,000 scooter for her son as he prepares to start college, told TVBS the vehicle will ease his commute and give him an advantage as many employers want employees to have a scooter license.
In addition to the relatively low cost of owning a scooter, limited mass transit remains a major factor, with most counties and cities still lacking MRT systems.
Hu Ti-chi (胡廸琦), deputy director of MOTC's Department of Public Transportation and Supervision, told TVBS that public transportation usage did increase somewhat after the government rolled out improvement plans. She said that public transportation's share of all commutes taken peaked at 18.1%.
However, Hu said it declined due to the pandemic, and the most recent figure, in 2022, was 14.3%. She said the department is continuing to promote public transport measures, such as the TPASS and subsidies, as well as shared mobility options.
