Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) Foreign residents can now register on the YouBike website for the Taipei public bike rental service, using their Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) number, a city transportation official said Monday.

 

Liao Yuan-ling (廖苑伶), who heads the Transportation Management Division of the Taipei City Department of Transportation, said the system has been fixed to allow insurance coverage for expatriates, with effect from Dec. 18, same as Taiwan nationals.

 

The revision was made following an uproar among foreign nationals in Taiwan, who were excluded from the YouBike rental system, primarily because the registration website did not include a field for ARC numbers, under a new city government policy that was introduced on Dec. 1.

 

The insurance program covers maximum compensation of NT$1 million (US$32,800) in the event of death or significant injuries to YouBike riders and up to NT$1,000 a day if hospitalization is necessary.

 

Prior to Dec. 1, the process required only the registration of the renter's cellphone and EasyCard numbers.

 

The revision of the new policy to include foreign nationals was completed one week ahead of schedule, and the YouBike website has been accepting ARC numbers with effect from Dec. 18, Liao said.

 

Foreign nationals who do have an ARC, or Taiwanese who do not wish to provide their identification number, can use a credit card for single rentals, she said.

 

"We considered allowing foreign nationals to use their passport numbers to register but decided that was not viable because the regulations pertaining to the protection of passport information differed from country to country," Liao said.

 

When a credit card is used, the YouBike system will pre-authorize a NT$2,000 deposit, which will automatically be canceled after a five-day period, once the renter does not violate the terms and conditions of the rental system, she said.

 

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)

 

Learn more: https://focustaiwan.tw/society/201912230004