Central News Agency (CNA Reporter Huang Chao-wen, Taipei, June 30) With frequent disputes over towing services, the Ministry of Transportation today announced draft regulations for standardized towing service contracts, stipulating that basic towing fees and mileage charges must not exceed twice the basic rates for national highway towing. The ministry hopes to announce and implement these regulations before the end of the year. Earlier this year, several cases emerged where the public was charged exorbitant fees by towing companies. One incident involved a charge of NT$100,000 for towing a vehicle from Wulai, New Taipei City, to Xindian. In Taoyuan, a female motorcyclist was quoted over NT$50,000 for towing her scooter 2 kilometers. To ensure transparency in the charging standards and payment methods for towing services, and to prevent consumers from signing contracts without clear understanding, the Ministry of Transportation today announced draft regulations for standardized towing service contracts, including mandatory and prohibited clauses. The draft regulations' key points, according to the Ministry of Transportation, include contract review periods, operator basic information, fee items and standards, service quality, vehicle custody responsibilities, contract termination, prohibition of unauthorized vehicle use, compensation for damages, and dispute resolution. Prohibited clauses include waiving the contract review period, exempting or reducing the operator's liability, unilateral changes to contract terms by the operator, disguised or additional charges, exclusion of small claims court jurisdiction, and other clauses that violate laws or are manifestly unfair. According to the draft, towing service operators will be required to specify in the contract the charging standards and payment methods for various items, including towing fees (basic fee, mileage surcharge), on-site service fees, waiting fees, special period surcharges (including night and holiday s