By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff. AI image for illustration only.
KAOHSIUNG — Multiple news outlets report that Taiwan’s aviation regulator is preparing to allow so-called “multi-service taxis” to pick up passengers at Kaohsiung International Airport (高雄國際機場), potentially opening the door to app-based ride services at the airport for the first time.
After roughly a year of internal review, the Civil Aviation Administration (民航局) has agreed in principle to launch a pilot program at Kaohsiung Airport. Officials say a formal announcement is expected by the end of the month, with the trial potentially beginning as early as June.
“Multi-service taxis” are licensed taxi vehicles that operate through smartphone ride-hailing platforms and other dispatch systems rather than waiting in traditional taxi queues. In practice, this category includes many drivers working through apps such as Uber, although Taiwan’s regulatory framework classifies them differently from standard taxis.
Unlike conventional taxis, these vehicles must be pre-booked through an app or dispatch system. They cannot accept street hails or wait in taxi ranks and typically use platform-based pricing rather than a meter.
Under current rules, such taxis are generally not allowed to pick up passengers directly at airports. The only exception has been Taichung International Airport (台中國際機場), where a similar arrangement has already been permitted. The restriction elsewhere has drawn complaints from travelers who prefer booking rides through apps rather than waiting in airport taxi lines.
CAA Director General Ho Shu-ping (何淑萍) said Kaohsiung was chosen for the pilot partly because travelers using the airport are spread across a wide geographic area that includes much of southern Taiwan. Unlike Taipei Songshan Airport (松山機場), which sits in central Taipei and has extensive transportation connections, Kaohsiung Airport serves passengers traveling longer distances across the broader region.
The proposal could face resistance from traditional taxi drivers, who rely on airport taxi queues and may view ride-hailing pickups as direct competition.
Ho said other airports — including Taipei Songshan Airport (松山機場) and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (桃園國際機場) — may consider similar policies later, though each airport will be allowed to evaluate the change based on its own transportation conditions.
Language note: 多元計程車 (duōyuán jìchéngchē) refers to app-dispatched taxis. Uber is one example, but many other services operate under the same system, all of which require drivers to hold taxi licenses in Taiwan. Currently, only 排班計程車 (pái bān jìchéngchē) — taxis that wait in designated queues — are allowed to pick up passengers at most airports.
