Protesting Uber drivers circled Taiwan's transport ministry Friday as the ride-hailing app halted operations on the island following an impasse with the government which deems the service illegal. The US firm announced last week that it would suspend business in Taiwan from Friday after the government raised the maximum penalty for Uber drivers to Tw$25 million ($804,000) - the highest in the world. The Transport Ministry last week said it was preparing to charge the firm Tw$230 million in penalties.
Uber has racked up fines for running a business without the proper registration to operate as a taxi service since it entered the Taiwan market in 2013. About 200 cars, adorned with ribbons and Uber stickers, drove around the transport ministry in downtown Taipei on Friday, according to an alliance of drivers which organised the protest.
Single mother Fiona Yang, 38, said Uber had been her main source of income for the past two years as she juggles earning a living and raising two children.
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