Hundreds of cabs surround Executive Yuan over delay in crackdown of Uber

Cabbies, many of them registered with Taiwan Taxi or M-taxi, drove at a snail's pace around the Executive Yuan, jamming traffic on normally busy roads.
Staged without a permit, the protest was apparently held against the government's U-turn on a decision to revoke Uber Taiwan's investment permit.
Earlier this week, the Economics Ministry's Investment Commission abruptly announced that it would postpone its earlier decision to revoke Uber's license.
According to Economics Minister Lee Chih-kung, the commission ruled to suspend the case until Uber Taiwan had gone through an administrative litigation process.
Reticent Cabbies
Organizers of public rallies and demonstrations in Taiwan must acquire a government permit to legally hold their event.
Because their demonstration on Friday was not legal, many taxi drivers were unwilling to confirm the purpose of their gathering when questioned by reporters.
“We drove here because there isn't any business elsewhere,” said a cabbie who was quoted by local media.
Other taxi drivers claimed they could not leave the area due to its heavy traffic, and some said they were “just passing by,” according to Chinese-language media.
One unnamed taxi driver, however, told reporters that the demonstration was held against the government's decision to postpone revocation of Uber Taiwan's permit.
According to the driver, the gathering denounced the government for ignoring the illegal ride-hailing service and for failing to protect legal operations in the taxi industry.
More Protests to Come?
Cab drivers said revoking Uber's operating license had been a pledge made by the current government, and warned that more demonstrations would come if the government did not revoke or suspend Uber's license and illegal operations.
Just last month, over 100 cabs surrounded the Legislative Yuan in protest against Uber Taiwan.
Executive Yuan officials told local media that the government was already handling Uber's illegal operations, denying protesters' claims that it was not.
Instead, it was simply extending the time period for handling Uber's illegal operations and for drafting new laws to govern the tax industry.
They reiterated that Uber Taiwan would be barred from operating in Taiwan should the company fail to abide by the new laws and regulations that were currently being drafted.
Officials said that they were currently developing programs to help the traditional cab industry compete with ride-hailing services.
'We felt cheated'
The government has yet to guarantee the legal cab drivers' right to work, Taipei City Professional Drivers' Union president Cheng Li-chia said. “We feel cheated.”
“The union only hopes to see the government safeguard legal cabbies' rights.”
Cheng called for the government to suspend Uber's ride-hailing services until it applied to become a “legal transportation service.”
President Tsai should also express her support for laborers' right to work, which is what she claimed in the past, Cheng said.
Cheng said that in light of the government's broken vows to eject Uber, Tsai's promise of a “fair and just society” was not being carried out.
While the Transportation Ministry has indeed stepped up efforts to penalize Uber Taiwan, Cheng pointed out that the cases were few and far in between.
“The taxi industry is not in opposition to Uber,” Cheng said, adding that they only demanded fair competition on a lawful basis.