TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taoyuan City Department of Transportation revealed on Monday (Nov. 20) plans for a gradual upgrade of the YouBike public bicycle system to YouBike 2.0.
The construction is set to begin at the end of November this year, with the full implementation expected by the end of December. The updated YouBike 2.0 system is anticipated to commence operations in the first half of 2024.
Since its introduction in 2016, the YouBike 1.0 system in Taoyuan has expanded to 416 sites, distributing 13,450 bikes. The system has been utilized over 72 million times to date.
Following the completion of the bidding process in September, the city confirmed the transition to YouBike 2.0. Chang Hsin-fu, the Director-General of the Transportation Department, reported that the Taoyuan, Zhongli, and Guishan Districts account for 70% of the system's total usage.
Considering New Taipei City's partial upgrade to the 2.0 system, Taoyuan's transition will begin in the Guishan District, near New Taipei's Linkou District.
The years 2024 to 2025 will serve as a "system conversion period," during which a "dual system" approach will be used to accommodate both versions, easing the transition for users.
The full conversion to YouBike 2.0 and decommissioning of the 1.0 system is expected by the end of 2025.