Unlicensed drivers to face tougher penalties: Transportation minister

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) Unlicensed driving will be treated similarly to drunk driving under a draft amendment being prepared by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said Sunday.

"Taiwan's traffic environment still has much room for improvement," said Chen on Facebook, adding that the ministry must "speed up its pace" in improving traffic safety.

Chen said the proposed penalties -- which he said the ministry has been working on since last year -- include unlimited fines for repeat offenders and the on-the-spot impounding of vehicles.

Owners who allow unlicensed drivers to operate their vehicles will also face "harsh penalties," he said.

The MOTC said it plans to revise the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act to strengthen penalties for unlicensed driving, with draft amendments scheduled to be submitted to the Executive Yuan for approval by the end of June.

Current rules cap fines for unlicensed motorists and motorcyclists at NT$24,000 (US$800), with repeat offenses within a five-year period receiving the maximum fine and a driving ban, the ministry said.

Additionally, unlicensed drivers or motorcyclists who cause serious injury or death are barred from obtaining a license for four years, according to the ministry.

A recent spate of high-profile traffic incidents involving elderly drivers has increased public pressure on the ministry to improve safety on Taiwan's roads.

An unlicensed 78-year-old driver struck a pedestrian near Chongqing South Road in Taipei on May 23.

A few days before, on May 19, a 78-year-old man drove his vehicle into schoolchildren and their guardians outside Bei Da Elementary School in New Taipei's Sanxia District, killing three and injuring a dozen others.

"The MOTC will not ban elderly people from driving," Chen said. "Our goal is to ensure older drivers can drive more safely."