TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's transportation ministry announced sweeping motorcycle licensing reforms Tuesday (Oct. 1), targeting January 2026 implementation to combat rising accident rates. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC, 交通部) will replace the current three-day licensing process with enhanced examinations and extended training requirements. Officials cite existing simple written and indoor tests as contributing factors to motorcycle accidents across the island.
The reformed system replaces true-or-false written examinations with multiple-choice questions and establishes a comprehensive two-stage testing framework. Test takers must complete basic licensing examinations before advancing to mandatory road training and practical testing phases. Wu Ji-juan (吳季娟), head of the Motor Vehicles Division (監理組) within the Highway Bureau (公路局), a government transportation agency, outlined sequential requirements for written, field, and road testing components.
Academic and industry experts support the reforms while highlighting implementation challenges and cost implications. Chiou Yu-chiun (邱裕鈞), a professor at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU, 陽明交通大學), emphasized prioritizing road safety over pass rate statistics. Chen Yung-chin (陳永親), chairman of the Chinese Automobile Driver Training Association (中華民國汽車駕訓教育學會), warned that reforms will increase expenses for vehicles, training hours, insurance, and instructor staffing.
Implementation challenges include training costs ranging from NT$2,800 (around US$92) to NT$3,700 (around US$121), potentially driving increases in unlicensed driving. Extended training periods and complex examinations may discourage legal licensing among prospective motorcyclists seeking quick certification. Transportation experts advocate comprehensive system reviews, including practical road training and insurance coverage, to ensure genuine road safety implementation. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$30.518)