A total of 4,000 passengers used the Orange Line of Kaohsiung City’s mass rapid transit (MRT) during the morning rush hour yesterday, the first work day since the line began its free-ride program on Sunday, Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) said.
Huang Yi-chung (黃一中), director of KRTC’s Public Affairs Department, said that 4,000 passengers used the east-west line operating from Sizihwan in Kaohsiung City to Daliao in Kaohsiung County between 6:30am and 8:30am yesterday.
SMALL
The figure was relatively small, compared with the more than 15,000 passengers on the system’s north-south red line, which was launched in early March.
Huang expressed concern over the low passenger numbers, but encouraged the public to take advantage of the free-ride program which will run through Sunday.
TALLIES
KRTC tallies showed that the number of passengers on the Orange Line increased later yesterday morning, reaching 20,000 by 11am.
Huang noted that a majority of the passengers took the trains to go to Sizihwan Station, many headed to the Cijin scenic area and other attractions in the city.
Huang said that KRTC is closely monitoring passenger numbers on the new line so they will have a better idea about how to formulate a policy to attract more commuters.
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