The Taipei City Government will open parts of public parking lots for taxi drivers by the end of this year in an attempt to prevent lines of taxis at roadside taxi stands from tying up traffic.
Certain parking areas near MRT stations including Jiantan Station, Shipai Station, Taipei Main Station and the Taipei Zoo station of the Maokong Gondola will be reserved for 164 roadside taxi stands by the end of this year, Taipei City’s Transportation Department said.
The city government said it will also strengthen its measures to clamp down on taxis that fail to wait in designated spots.
Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢), commissioner of the department, said high oil prices have prompted more taxi drivers to wait for the passengers at roadside taxi stands rather than drive around looking for fares.
However, long lines of taxis at taxi stands have caused serious traffic congestion and brought complaints from the public.
The department has added 800 parking spots for taxi stands this year, but there are still not enough parking spaces to accommodate the more than 60,000 taxis driving around the city every day, he said.
Luo said the department would open about 10 parking spots in the public parking lot next to MRT Jiantan Station to ease traffic jams caused by the long line of taxis near the station.
Taxi drivers can park their cars in the parking lot, and pick up their customers when they receive messages from the taxi stations.
Big shopping malls, including Sogo Department Store and Taipei 101, and several retailers such as RT-Mart have already cooperated with taxi companies to set up on-call taxi stands at the stores’ underground parking lots.
Luo said the department would seek help from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and ask Taipei Main Station to give up some parking spots for taxis to solve traffic congestion there.
Chen Ming-cheng (陳銘政), director of Taipei City’s Traffic Police Department, said the department would strengthen the patrol efforts around the taxi stands and clamp down on drivers who park outside of designated spots.
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