New Taipei to Add Uber and LINE GO to Pregnancy Transport Service

New Taipei’s Good Pregnancy Taxi service is set to become more technologically flexible. Mayor Hou You-yi and Social Affairs Department Commissioner Li Mei-zhen said the city plans to add Uber, LINE GO and other ride-hailing platforms early next year.

The program helps women travel to prenatal checkups and take newborns out for vaccinations. Councilor Liu Mei-fang said New Taipei, Taiwan’s most populous special municipality, should review whether its existing policy meets the needs of young families.

The current program provides a subsidy of up to NT$250 per trip, covering as many as 36 trips for a maximum total of NT$9,000. Users can book through the app of a partner taxi fleet, by telephone or by hailing a taxi on the street.

Liu said integrating the subsidy with multiple ride-hailing platforms could make the service more convenient and increase capacity in remote areas and during peak periods. She specifically cited pregnant women in Gongliao, Shuangxi and Pinglin, where transport costs for medical visits are higher.

She suggested replacing the fixed number of subsidized trips with reimbursement up to a total of NT$9,000, or increasing the per-trip subsidy for remote areas. Hou said the city would work toward a more diverse and technology-based service, while Li said the new smart booking options would make the program more convenient.