TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Directorate General of Highways, MOTC, announced Monday (July 17) that the monthly commuting passes for public transportation (TPASS) in Taiwan's three major metropolitan areas have seen significant usage since their launch on July 1.
According to the latest data, users have made around 14.869 million rides on various forms of public transport over the past two weeks, including 1.192 million trips on the Taiwan Railways, 7.349 million trips on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system (including light rail), and 5.621 million trips on buses (including urban and intercity buses).
Other modes of transportation, such as public bicycles and ferries, accounted for 706,000 trips over the same period around the country, according to the Directorate General of Highways.
The Directorate General of Highways expressed satisfaction with the positive response to the monthly commuting passes in the three major metropolitan areas, noting that the number of people using public transportation and purchasing these passes continues to grow.
Data show that around 548,000 commuters have opted to purchase the monthly commuting passes, with 399,000 people from the Greater Taipei Area and Taoyuan City, 26,000 from the Taichung-Changhua-Nantou-Miaoli Metropolitan Area, and 123,000 from the Kaohsiung-Pingtung Metropolitan Area.
Recent data also suggests that the number of pass purchasers has stabilized, indicating that many commuters have already acquired the passes. Notably, the Greater Taipei Area and Taoyuan City pass, with approximately 400,000 sold, the Kaohsiung City pass, with about 36,000 sold, and the Taichung City pass, with around 18,000 sold, have been the most popular choices among passengers.
The Directorate General of Highways further stated that the usage of the passes had become a regular habit for many individuals, with approximately 1.2 to 1.3 million trips occurring on weekdays and 600,000 to 700,000 journeys during weekends. They expect another surge in passenger numbers and usage patterns after the start of the school year in September.