TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A long queue formed outside the Taichung City Traffic Police Corps on Monday evening (July 17), with hundreds of people seeking to take a professional driver’s license test to operate taxis and earn extra income, per PTS.
To meet the growing certification demand, Taichung, Changhua, and Nantou counties have raised the monthly exam quota from 180 to 360 people from July to September. However, despite doubling spaces for test takers, many were still anxious about securing their spot, leading them to line up several hours before test registration.
Summer tourism and the end of the pandemic have dramatically increased the demand for taxi services. People in line brought portable stools and folding fans to keep them cool through the night, as well as food and beverages.
To become a taxi driver, the first step is obtaining a professional driver's license. This is followed by a temporary professional driver's registration certificate.
Later, one needs to choose whether to become a yellow cab driver or work for an internet-dispatched taxi service, such as Uber. A survey of people in line found respondents evenly divided as to favoring one or the other.
The age of applicants has trended younger in recent years, and the number of people opting for internet-dispatched taxis has increased significantly, according to Taichung police.