Department of Transportation

Taipei City introduced e-tickets to taxi services in August 2009 to facilitate easier fare payment, to reduce the waiting time for change due and to solve the driver’s problem of not having the correct change at times. There is an estimated fleet of 15,000 taxis operating in the Taipei municipality accept fare payments by EasyCard. Passengers may simply pay for taxi fares by swiping their EasyCard using the card reader installed at the back of the driver’s seat. Payment is deducted straight away and the machine prints out an e-receipt containing information of the ride including the name of the taxi fleet operator, time of the ride, the taxi’s registration number, card number, the total fare charge and the card balance before and after payment deduction. Users of taxi services may use the e-receipt for expense claim or account inquiry.
Taipei City Government has planned to integrate the transportation resources of the radio or satellite taxi-dispatch services to set up the Senior Citizen & Handicapped Taxi Service to offer senior citizens and people with disabilities and their families more diverse transportation solutions. Citizens may call the taxi service hotline (11 participating taxi fleet operators) and explain to the operator their intension to use the Senior Citizen & Handicapped Taxi Service to receive the subsidized rate.

Who Are Eligible
Senior or handicapped citizens with the Senior Citizen (1) or Handicapped (1) EasyCard issued by the Taipei City Government are eligible.
Anyone who wishes to apply for the Senior Citizen (1) or Handicapped (1) EasyCard may contact the Department of Social Welfare, Taipei City Government on 1999 ext. 6966 ~ 8 or the Social Welfare Section of the District Office located in the area of the applicant’s permanent residence.
Note:
1. Senior Citizen (1) EasyCard: Residents of Taipei City for one year and are over 65 years of age.
2. Disabled (1) EasyCard: Anyone in possession of the Disabled Handbook and is the resident of Taipei City for one year.
The Ways the Subsidy Program Work
Senior citizens or people with disabilities may use their Senior Citizen (1) EasyCard or Handicapped (1) EasyCard issued by the Taipei City Government for the Senior Citizen and Handicapped Taxi Service within the limit of subsidy (free bus trips for 60 sections valued at NT$ 480 each month) provided by the Taipei City Government. For each taxi trip subsidy equivalent to NT$65 is deducted, the remaining cost of the taxi trip at less than the correct subsidy amount as described above is then paid out of the cardholder’s own top-up value.
Note: Holders of the Senior Citizen (1) or Handicapped (1) EasyCard are unable to use their EasyCard to make fare payments if the card has insufficient balance to pay for the fare due after deducting the subsidy amount, meaning that they are unable to enjoy the benefits provided by the government. Instead, they have to pay their taxi fare by cash.
How to Use the Service
1. Call the taxi service dispatch hotline of individual taxi fleet operator
(1) Call the taxi service dispatch hotline of the participating taxi fleet operators (listed in the table below).
(2) Explain to the operator your request for special senior citizen or handicapped taxi service.
(3) Arrange the pick-up address and time and use the service accordingly.
(4) Confirm the taxi fare upon reaching the destination and use your EasyCard to make fare payment and obtain the receipt.

2. Accessing Taxi Service from the 7-11 Convenience Stores’ “ibon Easy Living Post”
Metropolitan Satellite Taxi Company has entered into a cooperative agreement with 7-11 convenience stores to ensure that people with hearing impairments or those unable to use mobiles to make calls can still reques taxi services. Starting April 1, 2010, anyone wishing to use the Metropolitan satellite taxi service may go to the “ibon Easy Living Post”kiosks located in any 7-11 convenience store to call for taxi service by clicking on the following options: “Digital Living Service-> Taxi Service-> Metropolitan Satellite Taxi Company” and enter his/her telephone number. The number and expected arrival time of the scheduled taxi will be displayed on the computer screen. The fleet operator will automatically dispatch the Senior Citizen and Handicapped Taxi Service to the designated convenience store.