TAIPEI (TVBS News) — New Taipei City (新北市) plans to reinstate the first 30 minutes of free YouBike rides by the first quarter of 2025, the New Taipei City Government's Transportation Department announced on Wednesday (Oct. 16) to encourage more residents to use the public bike-sharing service.
This move, which aims to make YouBike rentals more accessible and convenient, requires that YouBike Company (微笑單車公司) devises an efficient bike allocation plan.
New Taipei City Transportation Department Director Chung Ming-shih (鍾鳴時) highlighted the transition from YouBike 1.0 to the 2.0E electric-assisted bikes in August 2024, offering services at 1,843 stations citywide. Chung expects that by 2025, all 29 districts will have YouBike stations, with plans to exceed 1,500 stations by 2030.
Chung noted the initial free 30-minute policy significantly increased rentals, but the city discontinued it based on the user-pays principle. He mentioned that Taipei City (台北市) currently offers free rides for the first 30 minutes, subsidized by its city government, while Taoyuan City (桃園市) provides a 60-minute free ride for standard YouBike 2.0 models.
New Taipei City plans to allocate an additional NT$1.65 billion to support the free-ride policy, which could boost usage by 15%. However, this is contingent on the YouBike Company implementing a comprehensive vehicle dispatch plan.
Compared to Taipei, Chung expressed concerns about the lower bike availability rate in New Taipei, which could deter potential riders. He emphasized that improving bike replenishment speed and increasing the availability of parking docks is crucial for enhancing user convenience.