Look bureaucrats (this is what you are dealing with here) will not change these regulations.
You need to find a way to go over their heads to their bosses. Bad publicity for Taichung? Sincere yet sad looking foreigners? Whatever it takes to get things moving in the right direction.
Guy
Can you share their email address with me? I can only find their phone number and I don’t want to speak to someone.
OK, I pasted the address back on to #102. Anyway, you need to find the “Send a letter to the chief” etc. link on https://www.immigration.gov.tw/ .
Thats interesting that you sent that to immigration and got an answer. Last time I did that, they wrote back and said we don’t regulate what it is you are complaining about, contact them instead.
新公車票制10公里內免費優惠對象為設籍於臺中市的市民(包括設籍市民之新住民配偶)，以及在臺中市就學的學生，這屬於對設籍市民的福利優惠，不必然是歧視行為。
Needless to say this is bullshit. However, from a taiwanese perspective I might understand it now somehow …
Key word here is “registered citizens”.
It nowhere says Taichung registered citizens. So basically all Taiwanese citizens in theory could apply for the free rides.
Another question however is, which group the Taichung City government is accepting to issue those cards. There are free to accept anyone additional like spouses, students studying in Taichung.
It is still in the dark grey zone, but legally I do think they are on the safe side.
We APRC holders are registered somehow here in Taiwan, but obviously we are not a citizen.
They do implied that foreign spouses and children are somehow connected to a tw “citizen” (which they obviously are, lol). At least their names are included on this (in my opinion totally over-weighted) HuKou.
In this context it would be very interesting to find out, whether a non-taiwanese student (logically not a citizen) studying in Taichung would be accepted or not.
If such person would be also denied, their “logic” would make sense.
If a foreign student studying in Taichung would be included as well, then sorry, I am out, then the whole thing doesn’t make any sense at all.
And despite all of this …
I have no idea how they are going to introduce this new system (has anyone got any information about it?) - as it seems to start in less than 4 weeks …
How about coding such maybe new cards ? Eligible Taichung residents can report their card stolen or lost ?
How would the government fighting for that ?
Regardless all of that, I of course feel deeply discriminated and for the matter of princip I am not going to pay for short bus rides and in case … I am not afraid and very feel quite confident what might comes next.
I won’t lose my APRC and get deported, right ?
The private bus drivers watch carefully and I’ve seen them stop the bus and insist someone swipe before they move the bus. The only one that doesn’t care is the main white BRT bus.
Yes, they frame it as “a gift to the husband citizen” who happens to
possess a foreign wife.
And also “a gift to the wife citizen” who happens to possess a foreign
husband.
See, no gender discrimination!
As a convenience they even let the aforementioned foreigners pick up the
cards themselves. Saving their spouses the trip.
So the whole idea is to put a smile on the faces of the aforementioned
citizens, that they will keep until the next election.
So the foreigners that reside in the citizens’ homes are just like pets
or cattle, etc.
You can get free shots for them too at the clinic etc.
Taichung APRC nuns, etc.: well, I’m sure the Lord will take care of them, hence no need for discount bus cards.
I don’t know why you brought up gender discrimination for this issue.
Because the foundation of all my letters to the Government is a CEDAW violation!
Yes, I understood it. What I don’t is why you made a complaint based on CEDAW.
Why do you need to distinguish male foreigners and female foreigners on this issue? Just complaining on female foreigners doesn’t sound logical for me.
Calm down mate. No need to shout or go bold on Tando.
Stay clear-headed, and keep working to figure out the best plan to get this changed.
Guy
I am currently discussion this in person.
Just found out that foreign students (from other countries) are also included.
So married foreigners
Mixed children
Foreigner studying in TC
… all ok
Long-term APRC and work-related ARC
… no
Well, at least the nice lady seems to understand my point and was kind of speechless as she had nothing really meaningful to say.
I asked her to bring the case to her superior, but wont have much expectations …
Foreign (permanent) residents without local spouses are out of their recognition, so what we need to do may be to remind them about those resident foreigners.
Just out of curiosity.
If you have an APRC and you are married to a TW and have your name on a Hukou …
Would you be eligible for free rides or is the main criteria your JFRV issued ARC ?
Someone mentioned in this thread that there in no marriage indication on an APRC.
You know who this discrimination is really aimed against right ?
Migrant workers.
They are heavy users on Sunday especially. It makes me sick.
Some married with APRC had issues getting the covid related vouchers. They had to call a number and get their marriage linked to their APRC in the internal systems.