Yeah, we launched the Taiwan CAR Lab, I’m sure that you know about it, in the Shalun City, which I talked about in the Uber Elevate Conference. You’re more than welcome to try it out.
Yeah, the rental/taxi separation.
OK. You are currently in Taiwan working with both rentals and taxis?
I’ve used Uber to call both, [laughs] so I think you are in a uniquely interesting position to see that if the taxis metered by distance, versus rentals by hour, is clearly separated how will it impact your allocations?
I think most people use Uber to make short travels. That would necessarily mean that most of the currently operating under the rental part, they will need to get an additional license, in order to become e-taxis.
That’s actually what I talked with David Plouffe when he came a couple years ago. He was saying that the examination to get into the professional driving license and the operational license is kind of difficult, and we are happy to streamline the process. I’m very happy that since then, Uber has been working with the drivers to get their professional driver’s license.
The hurdle at the moment is less than two years ago. If your rental car drivers decide to become e-taxi drivers, it’s an additional exam to go through.
It’s part of the taxi license.
Yeah. That’s what I mean by e-taxis.
That’s right.
Let’s just call it e-taxi. [laughs]
There is a surge pricing clause, actually, in the e-taxi...
That’s part of the 2015 consultation’s result is that we created e-taxi that could respond to the need. For example, when it’s raining or whatever, and there could be surge pricing. The thing that we didn’t go into was offering discounts under the meter, so it needs to be at least at meter or above, but not under meter.
I’m sure we can automate it, though.
By the time that your algorithm is updated, I’m sure that as long as you pre-announce it somehow, like how the formula is to the passenger before they click the button, I think it does satisfy the e-taxi regulation.
If the e-taxi regulation needs adjustments, we are very happy to look into the regulation to make sure that it makes sense with your current implementation of surge pricing. It’s not meant as a technical burden to block you from using the e-taxi plan.
Most of the worrying that I heard about is the cap of the total number of e-taxis. The total amount of taxis — including fleets as well as independent taxis — there is a cap, and it’s shared by e-taxis as well as traditional taxis.
But as far as I understand, even if all of your current rental car drivers decide to become e-taxi drivers, there is still sufficient room in that cap. It’s not like you will hit a cap right away.
That’s right. If you’re going to grow by 10 fold, then we need to talk. But at the moment, there is no job loss even if everybody decides to become an e-taxi driver.
Yeah. That was also part of the e-taxi consultation. The meter is meant as a transitional device. We are actually looking into the possibility of virtualizing that meter. The meter is there mostly to give accountability, so that people can know exactly how it’s being calculated.
I’m sure if they can use the app to call e-taxi, they can also trust a virtual meter in their phone as long as it satisfies certain criteria. That’s never something that we want to technically block the app implementation.
Sure.
They will need to partner with someone who has a taxi license. It could be the same driver and the same cars, but there would be a new plate for the car.
Yeah, I understand, which is why I say it’s a matter of the plate. It’s not a matter of car. We’re not saying that you have to buy entirely new cars. I do hear that the cap is actually quite close. There is limited room to grow. In that, I do concur.
That is partly why there is a clause in the new rental car service that says if a municipality decides that it needs to move some of the rental cars into de facto taxi service, then the municipality can just decide so, and MoTC will never say no.
Yeah, because it is meant to separate the rental versus taxi.
Can override.
No. I think that’s a misunderstanding. We’re very happy to clear that misunderstanding.
There is exactly the same clause in the regulation for e-taxi. The e-taxi clause basically says, because it’s not painted yellow, it’s not allowed to just be hailed by anyone hailing from the pedestrian lane.
That’s what clause means. It means it cannot be hailed to stop on the road. It’s the same wording as e-taxi. We’re not saying e-taxi has to return to garage after each trip, either.
I would concur that the 立法理由, the third column, the explanation column, is a bit ambiguous. That, I would concur. If you look at the text itself, not the rationale, the text is actually the same as the e-taxi.
If this is interpreted into that you have to return to garage after each trip, that it will actually apply to e-taxis. I don’t think that’s the motivation. I do think the rationale could be clarified.
Sure. Actually, have you seen the short video at 志琪七七 ?
It contained that clarification from the MoTC Department of Railways and Highways.
You would need a written statement?
Of course. It’s now during the consultation period, and your ask is very legitimate. I’m sure it will be treated as part of the consultation input. They will, of course, address that as part of the reply to consultations. That will be the time point.
They certainly have.
Yes.
The first thing is that clarification is badly needed, because many have misinterpreted the return to garage rationale. It’s a stretch, but I can convince myself to read the rationales column that way, although it’s not intended that way.
I think the MoTC do need, after consultation period, to make a version that is free from ambiguity. That will be very helpful to everybody involved. That’s the factual part.
Many people worry about the difficulty in converting from the existing rental car investment into e-taxis. That’s something that the MoTC is actively looking for. We know that there are sufficient licenses, but we haven’t a very clear communication around that matter, especially by municipality. That is something MoTC is actively looking into.
Finally, the municipal override part. I think that is intended as any mayor can decide that within their municipality, they don’t actually want to add on the number of taxis. If so, they can do an override. That part, MoTC need to communicate more clearly as well.
For the driver, it’s relatively simple. They just pass the exam. If there is already available license for them to partner to, then it’s usually just a matter of a couple of weeks or so.
They have their own apps as well.
They have the optional to carry over to the e-taxi.
License.
That’s right. That’s very important.
Of course. Those are two tabs in your app, one for rentals and one for taxis. You don’t want to abandon one of the two tabs. That I do understand.
Like the majority of them.
Well, they are already competing now.
