It'll be harder to grab an Uber in Taipei as harsher crackdowns begin

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Commuters in Taipei will probably have to go back to regular cabs for the next couple of weeks.

Uber drivers in Taipei are getting ready to take a break from driving on Wednesday, as police will begin stepping up vigilance around the outlawed private cars.

An Uber X driver, Ivan, told Mashable he and a handful of friends who drive full-time with Uber are temporarily waving the white flag on Jun. 1. The authorities had warned last week that police officers would start going after drivers directly, in an effort to clamp down on the service.

Drivers who get their first summons get fined NT$50,000 ($1,534) and have their licences suspended for two months. That penalty increases up to NT$80,000 ($2,454) and a six month suspension -- before drivers lose their licences permanently after the fifth time they're charged.

Despite being outlawed by a Taiwan high court in February this year, Uber continues to operate in the country with its Uber X and premium Uber Black services.

The country's transport ministry estimated in March that some 3,000 private car drivers continue to work with Uber.

An Uber spokesperson would not comment directly on the current situation, but said: "We look forward to continuing to have constructive conversations with government officials on how ridesharing can play a valuable role in Taiwan’s transportation ecosystem."

Reports also say that Uber has been paying the fines for drivers, in addition to its own, and has coughed up NT$49 million ($1.5 million) since September 2014 in Taiwan. 

Ivan confirmed this, saying he had friends who had been fined before, and Uber footed the bill.

Although Uber's taking care of the bill, the drivers are taking time off for the next several weeks, because they're more afraid of losing their licences.

Authorities in Hong Kong have also caught drivers with similar methods. Plainclothes police officers hailed Uber vehicles and arrested the drivers at the destination.

Last year, Uber's Hong Kong office was raided by the police, and three employees were arrested.

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