Scootering in Taiwan
Buying a Scooter: To buy a scooter in Taiwan, you can opt to buy from an out-going foreigner or a scooter shop. If you choose the latter, you'll definitely need your ARC (Alien Resident Certificate), though you do not, ironically, need a license to own a scooter. Buying from an outgoing foreigner will be your best deal, as you can expect the price to be up to 50% less, more if you can haggle well: remember, their leaving Taiwan for good! Good sites to scout scooters are tealit and ESL99.
You can expect to find a good scooter for anywhere from 10-20,000NT. Scooters generally come in the 50cc, 100cc, 125cc, and 150cc varieties. It is rare to see bikes greater than 150cc, though some of the top ends do push up to 250cc, 300cc. As a rule, if you're planning on doing any serious driving, 100cc-125cc are sufficient. The petite may opt for 50cc, and if you're planning on scooting-for-two, a 150cc may be for you. Do your best to find one with a clean sounding engine, which isn't more than 9-10 years old. Check that an abundance of smoke doesn't come out the back. Check the brakes, the lights, drive it around.
A special note: While the Japanese motorcycles can seem quite cool, they are a pain to maintain and have been said to break down quite frequently. Think reliability over style at first, and once you're settled in, upgrade to that dream bike.
Insurance: It's a good idea to insure your scooter, as it's both the law and necessary in case of accident. Taiwan has no-fault insurance, and that means everyone must have a minimum level of insurance. If you get into an accident, everyone is covered medically for up to 200,000NT. Compulsory damages, such as if you hit a house or another car, repairs and such, you will be liable for. You can get policies for this type of thing, but most don't. Just don't hit anything.
If you're acquiring someone else's insurance, you'll both need your ids, ARC, and passports. If you are going by yourself, you'll need the stamp of the seller for the transfer, or s/he must come with you to sign. You'll also need the title for the scooter and the registration. Go to the insurance company and inform the agent you want to transfer your policy. There is generally no fee for this process.
Scooter Title: Before you can transfer the title to your scooter, the insurance must be in your name (see above.) If you are selling your scooter, remember that you should not let anyone drive your scooter until the title is in your name, as you will still be liable. At the DMV, when transferring the title, you will have to pay any old tickets that may have accrued on the scooter. There will also be a fee of ~$150NT and some forms to fill out. In addition, you will again need both your id's, your ARCs, and a passport, as well as your stamps or signatures. You'll need to have your insurance card showing a month paid, the scooter's current title, and the owner's registration. If the title has been lost, the DMV may be able to find the title in their database. Keep your fingers crossed. If your scooter is older they will also run basic mechanics tests to make sure it doesn't explode. At the end of this arduous process the title and registration will be in your name, and you will also have rights to the plates. You can change the plates at this time to a cool vanity plate for around ~1000$NTD.
Mechanics and Maintenance: Mechanics in Taiwan are plentiful and helpful. You'll do well to get a referral from people who have already been living in your area, and go to a larger shop. Shops can be found easily by the presence of the large "Yamaha" sign, though not all shops have this. Mechanics in Taiwan are often called "the Black Hand" for the work they do, getting oil on their hands. Some may be unscrupulous. Do your homework by reading up a bit on maintanence and costs with this sweet Scooter book. Also, as it's difficult to find English-language electronics in Taiwan, you may consider getting yourself a tire pressure gauge before coming: older scooters always have problems with their tires.
You will eventually want to get your tires replaced, which can be $2000-3000NT. Scooters require minimum gas, maybe refills once a week at a cost of around 120NT. Insurance can run you 2000NT a year. Refilling the air in your tires can be done at many gas stations. You can also bring your scooter to the car wash, but don't bother: the rain will do the job faster.
International and American Licenses: Depending on your home state, American drivers licenses may or may not be recognized. If you are visiting, International Drivers licenses will be recognized for 6 months, though if you are applying or have your ARC, it will only be valid for two months. In any case, if you have one of these international licenses, if you plan on driving after the first 30 days of your stay, you must go down to the DMV and have it endorsed (sometimes called a "driving visa") to drive legally.
Licenses in Taiwan: To drive legally in the long run, you'll need a Taiwan license. If you only want to drive a 50cc scooter, you'll only need to take a written exam. To get a scooter license for scooters from 51-250cc, you'll need to take a written and a driving test. you will have to locate a DMV in Taiwan. There is a written part on the exam and a driving test. An interesting example for the writing test is available in English here. The writing section is available in English and you can preview this exam on line. The driving section of the exam involves driving down a straight line with a timer and touch-sensitive barriers, and and some stopping. You'll get two tries for the driving section of the exam. This license allows you to drive scooters from 50-249cc. Some people do drive without these licenses, given that police will rarely bother you and laws here are frequently flouted. It is best, however, to get one of these licenses in case there should be an accident or any legal trouble.
Instead of reproducing the excellent test guide at Tealit, I'd recommend you check their article out for more information: Tealit License Guide.
To check out the costs of these tests, take a look at English in Taiwan.
Renting a Scooter: Renting a scooter in Taiwan is a wonderful option if you're traveling to places like Taroko Gorge or other scenic spots, and don't feel like making the trek with your own scooter, or are staying for a limited amount of time. Rental agents in Taiwan understand the foreigners visiting want to rent, and while some shops are reluctant to rent to any foreigner without a Taiwanese license, others will allow you to do so with only your passport or ARC. It's best to shop around to find a shop willing to give you a scooter with what you have.
If you can, it's best to get recommendations of shops from friends, as some shops will actively try to steal your scooter in the night with another set of keys, only to make you pay huge fines later when they claim you've lost the scooter. Perhaps bringing a scooter lock can ameliorate some of this problem. You'll also need to decide what size scooter is right for you. The same guidelines apply here as when buying a scooter: Scooters generally come in the 50cc, 100cc, 125cc, and 150cc varieties. It is rare to see bikes greater than 150cc, though some of the top ends do push up to 250cc, 300cc. As a rule, if you're planning on doing any serious driving, 100cc-125cc are sufficient. The petite may opt for 50cc, and if you're planning on scooting-for-two, a 150cc may be for you.
Make sure you understand whether insurance is provided, who will be responsible if the scooter is stolen, and the associated costs as well. Understand how long you'll be able to rent the scooter and per diem costs.
Tickets and Laws: The first thing I learned when coming to Taiwan is that driving is something like Russian Roulette, and blue trucks and taxis are bullets. Fear them like you fear god. Black BMWs tend to indicate organized crime for some reason (you would think they would find different cars?). Don't abuse them. Doors and ladies on recycling bicycles piled with paper will also appear as if from now where. Always where your helmet. The laws here are frequently flouted and the rules are rarely followed. But here are some of them, and aa few key rules to remember:
- Helmets: You must wear a helmet, and you will be fined $NT500 for not wearing one.
- Right of way: The concept of right of way is something illusory here. Pedestrians will walk out in front of you while you are driving, and while you are walking, cars will speed up to jump past you. Don't count on anyone stopping for you.
- Licenses: You do need a license to drive in Taiwan.
- Right on Red: There are no right-hand turns on red. Many people do this, but it's still illegal.
- Turning Left with a Scooter: If you see a blue sign above the road with two arrows and a little scooter-man, and you're driving a scooter, this means that you cannot turn left. These usually are implemented in big intersections. You must actually drive through to the right where there is a white box, and then stop at the box, and wait for the other light to turn green, to achieve the left.
Be careful. Go slow: your attendance bonus isn't worth your life.
Offense |
Charge |
|---|---|
| No helmet while scootering | NT$500/person |
| Talking on the phone while driving | NT$1,000 |
| Direct left-turn on a scooter at a major intersection | NT $600 |
| Driving while intoxicated (over the legal limit) | NT$10,000 - 60,000 |
| Driving while intoxicated and there is an accident that results in an injury | NT$10,000 - 60,000 |
| Driving while intoxicated and there is an accident that results in serious injury or death. | NT$10,000 - 60,000 Driver's license taken for life. |
Don't drink and drive.
You can pay many tickets by mail and at 7-11's.
Parking: Don't park on the red lines. White lines are alright. If you do park on the redlines, you may get towed. If you are towed, you will need to go to the tow place to get your scooter. Bring your keys, registration, etc. There will be a fine. I've heard of some getting their scooters back with nothing: no license number, no registration, etc., but they did pay a hefty fine. Fines in towing places increase by the day, sometimes doubling, so get your scooter back quickly.
Note that some people will move your scooters out of their parking spots, this is common in congested areas. There's little you can do about this, and few would consider putting you somewhere illegal, but don't get too attached to your scooters fancy veneer. You might consider getting a serious wheel lock to stop this process. Also, put your scooter on its parking stand, not the kick stand. There will be a great deal of scratching in the process of parking, evident on older scooters. Also, even if you see a group of scooters parked somewhere, they may all get towed soon: don't trust the group mentality.
Accidents: Accidents happen. In Taiwan, the idea is that things ought to be settled immediately on the road. Whoever was at fault will often pay up some money immediately to the offended party. So if you are hit, hurray: payday. But if you hit someone, be prepared to pay. It's best to have a license, as licenses mean that the party has insurance. If you don't have one, don't hit anything. Don't drive, really. When in doubt, call the cops. Their numbers are over on English in Taiwan: helpful numbers. The cops will determine the cause of the accident regardless of whether you have a license, though you may get fined. Don't move anything around and don't argue with the driver in the case of calling the cops.
More Information:
Taoyuan Airport Parking Guide
