A Keelung man was fined the legal maximum and stripped of his license plate for parking his motorcycle in a public street bay while the plate was off for repairs, and a court has now upheld the punishment.

• Police spotted the plateless bike in a street parking space and reported it under Taiwan's road traffic law.
• The fine was set at the top of the range — NT$36,000 — and the vehicle's plate registration was revoked.
• The rider argued the bike was parked, not being driven, and the shop had removed the plate, so there was no intent to dodge checks.
• The Taipei High Administrative Court ruled that street parking bays count as road, so the owner had to keep an unplated bike in a garage or repair shop instead.
• The law states the maximum penalty must be applied, leaving officials no room to reduce it case by case.

Outlook: Riders whose plates come off for servicing should expect no leniency — the only safe option is keeping the vehicle off public roads entirely.