Renting a Scooter in Taipei: 4 Pickup Points and the Local Riding Rules You Need to Know

Renting a Scooter in Taipei: 4 Pickup Points and the Local Riding Rules You Need to Know

If you live or work in Taiwan and want a scooter for a few days in Taipei (while your own is in the shop, for a weekend of errands, or just to get around faster than by bus), GoodCars rents scooters at four stores in the Taipei area: Taipei Main Station, Songshan Station, Banqiao and Xinzhuang (formerly the Sanchong store). The model is the 125cc Kymco GP-125. This guide covers only Taipei: which store to pick, which licence you need, and the Taipei-specific rules that catch newcomers out. The rules below are based on Taiwan's traffic regulations and Taipei City Government notices, with the article or agency named so you can check them yourself. For general scooter rental basics, see Scooter Rental Recommendations.

Rows of parked scooters are part of every Taipei street; always park in a marked scooter bay (Unsplash, location tagged as Taipei; illustrative)

Which licence do you need for a 125cc scooter?

Under Taiwan's Road Traffic Safety Rules (Article 3), a scooter over 50cc and up to 250cc is an "ordinary heavy motorcycle" (普通重型機車). The GP-125 falls in this class.

• Taiwan licence: you need an ordinary heavy motorcycle licence or a large heavy motorcycle licence. A Taiwan car licence only covers light scooters at most (Article 61), and car licences issued from 30 June 2023 no longer cover light scooters at all.
• Foreign licence + IDP: an International Driving Permit must list motorcycles as a permitted category (the categories follow the international road traffic convention; on most IDPs this is category A). A car-only IDP does not let you ride a 125cc scooter.
• Staying longer than 30 days? Under Article 55, an IDP from a reciprocal country can be used without endorsement for a stay of up to 30 days. If you stay longer, you must get the IDP endorsed (簽證) at a Highway Bureau motor vehicles office; the endorsement lasts up to one year, or until your licence or residence permit expires if that is sooner.
• Not sure? Check your licence with a motor vehicles office and with the store before you book. Other documents (ID, credit card) and rental conditions are shown on the booking page. More on permits: Taiwan IDP guide.
• Helmets: the official model page says a helmet is included; how many, and whether you should bring one for a passenger, please confirm with the store when you book. Rider and passenger must both wear an approved motorcycle helmet with the chin strap fastened (Article 88).

The 4 Taipei pickup points

Walking times were checked on Google Maps on 25 September 2026 (Fri); actual times depend on the exit you use. Show the Chinese address to your navigation app.

Online, you can book pickup and return times between 09:00 and 21:00 at these four stores. If you need to pick up or return outside business hours (21:00–09:00), call the store in advance and they will arrange it.

Taipei riding rules that catch newcomers out

For the wider set of Taiwan traffic rules, see Driving in Taiwan: Complete Traffic Rules Guide.

• Two-stage left turns: where the inner lane is marked "no motorcycles", scooters must turn left in two stages (Article 99). Taipei's Department of Transportation says two-lane roads generally allow direct left turns, while roads with three or more lanes are reviewed case by case. In practice: if you see a "two-stage left turn" sign or a painted scooter waiting box, go straight into the box, turn to face the new direction and wait for the green light.
• No freeways or expressways: scooters (except qualifying large heavy motorcycles) may not enter freeways or expressways (Freeway and Expressway Traffic Control Rules, Article 19).
• No elevated roads: Taipei police run automated enforcement against scooters on the Civic Boulevard elevated road (above Taipei Main Station and Taipei Bus Station) and the Jianguo elevated road.
• Zhongxiao West Road Sec. 1 (Chongqing S. Rd. to Zhongshan N. Rd., right in front of Taipei Main Station) is closed to scooters except between 23:00 and 06:00; the Taipei City Traffic Engineering Office suggests using Civic Boulevard instead.
• Bus lanes: many Taipei arterial roads have bus lanes, often in the middle of the road. According to the Taipei City Public Transportation Office, only approved, permit-holding vehicles may use them.
• Navigation: use the motorcycle (two-wheeler) route option in Google Maps, but signs on the road always take priority.

Big Taipei intersections often have painted boxes and waiting areas; follow the signs and markings at each junction (Unsplash, location tagged as the Daan Park area; illustrative)

Parking, rain and night riding

• Paid scooter bays: since 2019 the Taipei City Parking Management Office has been phasing in charges for roadside scooter bays (shopping areas, around MRT stations, main roads, then side streets). Most are charged per visit, once per day within Taipei's charged sections; a few are charged by time. The area around Taipei Main Station, Ximending and the Xinyi shopping district all have charged sections.
• Paying: if a parking slip is left on the scooter, pay it by scanning the barcode or entering the plate number in a mobile payment app, or at a convenience store. Unpaid slips on a rental end up with GoodCars; see Parking in Taiwan.
• Arcades and sidewalks: the same office lists designated sections where scooters must stay off arcades (騎樓) and sidewalks. Use marked bays.
• Rain: slow down, avoid hard braking, and keep off painted lines and drain covers, which get very slippery (MOTC road safety portal).
• Lights: headlights must be on at night and in rain, fog or poor visibility (Article 109).

Taipei gets a lot of rain; ride slower and avoid painted lines and drain covers when it is wet (Unsplash, location tagged as Taipei; illustrative)

Scooter, car, or MRT + YouBike?

• Scooter: one or two people, several stops in a day, lots of short-term parking.
• MRT + YouBike: point-to-point trips along MRT lines, no parking or fuel to deal with (check YouBike's official site for rules and fees).
• Car: three or more people, children or big luggage, rainy days, or anything that needs a freeway. A scooter can carry only one passenger. Car pickup at Taipei Main Station: Taipei Main Station Car Rental; day-trip ideas: 5 routes from Taipei.

For trips along MRT lines, MRT + YouBike is often simpler than renting anything (Unsplash, location tagged as Taipei)

Fuel: you fill up the scooter yourself

With a scooter rental, you refuel and pay for petrol yourself. The official model page lists 95-octane unleaded for the GP-125. How much fuel should be in the tank when you bring it back is up to the store, so ask at pickup and take a photo of the fuel gauge. How the rental is charged is shown on the booking page. For fuel grades and how self-service pumps work, see Taiwan Gas Stations Guide; note that the part of that article about how GoodCars handles fuel applies to cars only, not scooters.

FAQ

Can I rent the GP-125 with only a car licence?

No. You need a licence (or IDP category) that covers 125cc motorcycles.

Can I carry a passenger?

One passenger. The GP-125 is listed for 2 riders; the passenger must wear a helmet and sit astride, not side-saddle (Article 88). Ask the store whether a second helmet is provided.

Can I ride to Jiufen or Yangmingshan?

Yes, on ordinary roads only (no freeways), and watch out for mountain roads and weather. Google Maps' motorcycle routing (checked on the evening of 25 September 2026, Fri) gave about 1 h 6–11 min / 35 km from the Songshan store to Jiufen Old Street, and about 36–40 min / 17–18 km from the Taipei Main Station store to the Yangmingshan National Park Visitor Center; daytime and weekends take longer. Sightseeing and parking details: Jiufen & Jinguashi guide and Yangmingshan guide (both written for drivers).

Mountain roads have fewer lights and more bends; set off in daylight and come down before dark (Unsplash, location tagged as Taiwan; illustrative, not Jiufen or Yangmingshan)

Am I guaranteed a scooter?

No. The fleet is small and weekends and holidays sell out first, so book early; availability is shown on the booking page.

Can I pick up at one store and return at another?

Whether a different return store is possible is shown by the pickup and return options on the booking page.