TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan Taxi Company clarified on Tuesday (Dec. 26) that all fees charged to its drivers comply with regulations and have been reported to the responsible authorities.
The company defended its actions and issued the clarifications after recent allegations surfaced accusing it of unlawfully collecting excessive profits from its drivers.
The taxi company remarked that all charges are transparent and published on its website. Among Taiwan Taxi's controversial charges are fees for corporate invoices, Easycard processing, and duties.
The accusers also claimed drivers are required to install televisions in their passenger seats to play advertisements, including those featuring actress Ruby Lin, on behalf of Thermage FLX; however, drivers receive no compensation for the played ads.
As soon as the taxi meter starts, ads will automatically play, causing dissatisfaction among many drivers, the accusers said.
To this, Taiwan Taxi remarked that it is undergoing a digital transformation and developing new platform.
The vehicles' media players (small televisions in cars) serve functions beyond playing advertisements, such as providing diversified digital payment solutions, promoting traffic safety, and aiding governments in realizing their AI city big data experiment grounds.
Reassuring its drivers, Taiwan Taxi emphasized that the group's digital transformation would not shift the pressure of management costs onto the drivers. The company pointed out that its monthly charge to drivers has not been raised in nearly 20 years.