Stationless bike-sharing platform oBike has said it might appeal the New Taipei City Department of Transportation’s ban on parking oBikes in public parking spaces in 11 densely populated districts.
The ban follows complaints against oBike — a Singapore-based company that began operating in Taiwan in April — that their bikes often occupy public parking spaces for motorcycles or are parked in ways that obstruct pedestrians.
The bicycle sharing service has a “rent anywhere, return anywhere” policy that allows users to leave the bicycles where they want.
Photo: Lee Ya-wen, Taipei Times
As a result of the ban, 969 of the company’s bikes had been towed as of Sunday, mostly from the city’s Tamsui (淡水), Luzhou (蘆洲), Sanchong (三重), Yonghe (永和), Jhonghe (中和), Banciao (板橋), Tucheng (土城), Sinjhuang (新莊), Sindian (新店), Linkou (林口) and Sijhih (汐止) districts.
OBike Taiwan general manager Wang Yan-ting (王妍婷) said the company promotes environmentally friendly transportation and does not accept government funding.
Under existing laws, the bikes can be parked in parking spaces, she said, adding that criticizing the company for occupying parking areas is wrong.
Wang questioned the legality of the city government’s ban and said she would consult with lawyers to decide if the company would file an administrative appeal with the Executive Yuan, the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) reported on Sunday.
The company is unlikely to reclaim the towed bikes for the time being, she said.
New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said that the city might establish parking rules for the bikes and other forms of “green” transportation.
The transportation department said the areas selected for the ban are densely populated and motorcycle and bike parking spaces are at a premium. For-profit rental bike companies are no longer permitted to occupy public parking spaces in these areas, it said, but added that it might add more bicycle parking to encourage “green” transportation.
Three experts in the high technology industry have said that US President Donald Trump’s pledge to impose higher tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors is part of an effort to force Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to the negotiating table. In a speech to Republicans on Jan. 27, Trump said he intends to impose tariffs on Taiwan to bring chip production to the US. “The incentive is going to be they’re not going to want to pay a 25, 50 or even a 100 percent tax,” he said. Darson Chiu (邱達生), an economics professor at Taichung-based Tunghai University and director-general of
‘LEGACY CHIPS’: Chinese companies have dramatically increased mature chip production capacity, but the West’s drive for secure supply chains offers a lifeline for Taiwan When Powerchip Technology Corp (力晶科技) entered a deal with the eastern Chinese city of Hefei in 2015 to set up a new chip foundry, it hoped the move would help provide better access to the promising Chinese market. However, nine years later, that Chinese foundry, Nexchip Semiconductor Corp (合晶集成), has become one of its biggest rivals in the legacy chip space, leveraging steep discounts after Beijing’s localization call forced Powerchip to give up the once-lucrative business making integrated circuits for Chinese flat panels. Nexchip is among Chinese foundries quickly winning market share in the crucial US$56.3 billion industry of so-called legacy
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday held its first board of directors meeting in the US, at which it did not unveil any new US investments despite mounting tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. Trump has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, prompting market speculation that TSMC might consider boosting its chip capacity in the US or ramping up production of advanced chips such as those using a 2-nanometer technology process at its Arizona fabs ahead of schedule. Speculation also swirled that the chipmaker might consider building its own advanced packaging capacity in the US as part
A move by US President Donald Trump to slap a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports is expected to place Taiwan-made steel, which already has a 25 percent tariff, on an equal footing, the Taiwan Steel & Iron Industries Association said yesterday. Speaking with CNA, association chairman Hwang Chien-chih (黃建智) said such an equal footing is expected to boost Taiwan’s competitive edge against other countries in the US market, describing the tariffs as "positive" for Taiwanese steel exporters. On Monday, Trump signed two executive orders imposing the new metal tariffs on imported steel and aluminum with no exceptions and exemptions, effective
RSS