Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday that MRT fares would be lowered from tomorrow to Aug. 31 in a bid to boost passenger numbers.
The reductions will see EasyCard holders receive a 25 percent discount, up from the current 20 percent, while elderly and disabled users will see their discount rise from 60 percent to 72.5 percent.
The discounted fares will only last for three months, and city bus fares will be unchanged, Hau said.
“The fare adjustment will cause a NT$70 million (US$2.2 million) loss in MRT revenue, but hopefully the measure will encourage more residents to choose public transport for their commute,” Hau told a press conference in Taipei yesterday.
MRT ticket prices range from NT$20 to NT$65, depending on the distance traveled.
Hau said the measure would save MRT users NT$1 to NT$3 for each ride, and predicted it would result in 24,000 more passengers taking the MRT during the period.
The city government did not present any long-term plans to continue boosting public transport usage for the period following the three-month fare reduction.
“It’s a three-month promotion, and there won’t be any special discounts after that,” Hau said.
The mayor would not answer questions about the city government’s plans to combat high gas prices and boost the use of public transport following the three-month period, instead concentrating on traffic jams and worsening air quality, which he blamed on the rising number of scooters in the city.
“The number of scooter drivers increased sharply following the gas price hike, and posed a negative impact on traffic and air quality. Riding scooters is also very dangerous,” Hau said.
Taipei City Transportation Department statistics showed that scooter traffic on major bridges connecting Taipei City and Taipei County had increased by about 19 percent in the last three years.
Of the 29 traffic accident deaths in Taipei so far this year, 19 involved scooter riders, the statistics showed.
Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢), commissioner of Taipei City’s Transportation Department, said that any measures would have a limited effect on traffic as the roads were already at full capacity, but that the department will not ignore the rights of scooter riders.
Lawrence Lan (藍武王), a honorary professor in transportation at National Chiao Tung University, condemned the city government for blaming traffic problems on scooters, and urged it to address the growing need for scooters during this time of high gas prices.
Lan said the city government should adjust its traffic policies and measures in order to improve the long-term traffic situation.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City caucus urged the city government to consider extending the discount period to two years to improve the city’s traffic and environment.
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