Taiwan to allow enclosed-cabin scooters on roads this year

Taipei, Feb. 4 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) plans to allow a new category of three-wheeled scooter with a fully enclosed cabin and a steering wheel-based steering system on public roads, requiring drivers to hold at least a light vehicle license, the ministry said Wednesday.

In a regulatory draft notice, the MOTC said the vehicles would be issued scooter license plates and granted road rights equivalent to light vehicles, but would be barred from national highways, freeways and expressways.

The ministry said the proposal could take effect as early as the second half of 2026 after a 60-day public consultation period and the completion of legislative procedures.

The MOTC said it has released draft amendments to the regulations governing road traffic safety, allowing the vehicles to operate on domestic roads.

The rule changes would classify enclosed-cabin scooters as scooters, consistent with vehicle classifications used in Europe and Japan, and would adopt Japan's model for driver qualification requirements, the ministry said.

Drivers operating the vehicles with only a scooter license could face fines of between NT$6,000 (US$190) and NT$12,000, while unlicensed driving could result in penalties ranging from NT$6,000 to NT$36,000, it added.

The MOTC said enclosed-cabin scooters would be subject to new registration and periodic inspections equivalent to those for light vehicles, including checks on heat-insulating window film, and that drivers would be required to wear a seat belt and could park in either light vehicle or scooter parking spaces.