Press a button and get the facts

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At Uber, we stand up, and speak out, for what we believe is right.

There has been a lot of talk over the past few weeks from the MOTC about what Uber should do in Taiwan, and what we have or haven’t done. Much of it has been based on incorrect assumptions. So sit back, and allow us to set the record straight.

“Uber needs to register as a taxi company”
This one is simple: We’re not a taxi company so it’s absurd to ask us to register as one. We are a smartphone application that connects people willing to share their ride with people needing one. Ridesharing, or the use of private cars for public good, has been embraced in more than 72 countries around the world precisely because it meets a need that taxi doesn’t. We want to be regulated but regulating Uber like a taxi is like eating soup with chopsticks. It just doesn’t work.

“Uber needs to get insurance.”
Insurance? Check! Did you know that every ride on the Uber platform is covered, from the moment you get into a vehicle to the moment you’re dropped off? This is true for every trip in every city around the world, including Taiwan. In some places we have sought and secured additional coverage through partnerships with local providers. This is also true for Taiwan. Unfortunately, our local insurance partner is unable to provide the solution we have jointly created until the government recognizes ridesharing and gives the green light. In other words, we are damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.

“Uber needs to pay tax”
From the day we arrived in Taiwan four years ago, we have been super clear: We want to pay all applicable tax. We said this even when there were no structures under which we could be taxed. We have been an active supporter of the new cross-border e-commerce bill. We recently sat down with the Ministry of Finance to discuss the bill together with other multinationals like Apple and Agoda; and confirmed in writing, our willingness to comply with this new mechanism – once it arrives. A final important tax fact: driver partners earn and keep the lion’s share of the revenue generated on each ride. The money stays local, something very different to many other tech companies.

These are the #Uberfacts, clear and simple. Please share these widely, with your friends and family so this is heard by President Tsai and her government. And don’t forget to remind her: the future of ridesharing in Taiwan is now in her hands. 

The Uber Taiwan team