The main method of travel within cities is by scooter.
Seemingly EVERYONE has a scooter! Motorscooters and motorcycles are the most common modes of transportation for teachers. BE CAREFUL! Driving in Taiwan is fast and furious and can result in serious injury! Drivers are aggressive. Accidents are about as common as sunburn in Australia.
If you’re going to get one please consider this carefully and BE SURE TO PRACTISE in safe areas before you start booting around.
Remember that what Westerners consider the rules of traffic are often disregarded here in the Taiwan.
Scooter Costs
- second hand scooter - NT$5000 - NT$20,000
- new scooter - NT$30,000 - NT$60,000
Scooter sizes vary from the common 50cc, 125cc or 150cc which can easily manage the mountain climbs. An important consideration is that the older used scooters are less commonly stolen.
The advantages of scooters and motorcycles are convenience and cost. Because scooters are small, they are easier to park in crowded downtown areas, they cost little to maintain, and they consume little gas. Most teachers spend no more than NT$500 per month on gas.
To purchase a scooter, you will need an ARC (Alien Resident Card). By law, all drivers must wear a helmet and for owners of scooters above 50cc, a local scooter license is required. Many foreign scooter drivers either have no license or carry an international license, but take the risk of heavy fines. The truth is that often if a cop should stop them, it is too much hassle filling out tickets and forms in Chinese, that the police-officer is likely to turn a blind eye... but it’s still a risk. We strongly encourage you to get a license - it's a great souvenir... Also, think about what might happen in an accident... be smart. Get a license and look into insurance. The streets of Taiwan are a crazy place.
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“Footprints was the first company that I applied with and it will probably be the last, Footprints will be my first choice as a recruiter anywhere I want to teach. They helped me get exactly where I want to be and they always keep in touch wanting to know how you are doing and that makes you feel 100% safe. Mountain hiking here is amazing, the sights are beautiful, on the way up there are many temples to see, or if you prefer to only hike half way up, stop by the waterfall and have yourself a nice Korean meal; there are restaurants everywhere in this country. This is an experience of a life time, and I only hope that there are many other people that will be as lucky as me, and get a chance to experience this wonder of a country. I hope that if you are looking to work overseas that Footprints is your choice for a recruiter...trust me on that, they will get you were you want to go.”
