TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Regulations made by Taiwan’s Directorate General of Highways (DGH) requiring migrant workers to provide employer consent letters in order to purchase e-bikes has been slammed by a legislator and others as discriminatory, prompting the highway authority to say on Monday (Dec. 5) that it will invite other agencies to further discuss the matter in search of policy alternatives.

Taiwan began to require all e-bikes, now officially called mini electric two-wheel vehicles, in the country to have license plates on Nov. 30. Violation of the law is punishable by a fine between NT$1,200 (US$39.60) and NT$3,600.

New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) a week ago took to Facebook to criticize the DGH’s rules, saying the requirement is discriminating against blue-collar migrant workers.

The DGH explained that the employer consent requirement was put in place in 1994 to hold migrant workers accountable who are involved in traffic accidents or violate traffic rules along with their employers, CNA said. Therefore, migrant workers must provide consent forms to ensure their employers are informed.

The highway authority said that because of backlash from the new rule, it will invite the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Ministry of Labor, the Taiwan International Workers’ Association, and other migrant workers groups to hold a meeting to discuss alternative measures next week.