A new ferry route from Cijin Island (旗津) to Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2, next to the Pier-2 Art Center, started yesterday after an official ceremony in the city.
After attending the ceremony, Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦), Taiwan International Ports Corp chairman Wu Hong-mo (吳宏謀) and Acting Kaohsiung Mayor Hsu Li-ming (許立明) boarded a ferry for its maiden voyage.
Noting that new route would be serviced by electric boats, Hochen said the new option for green transportation, together with the Kaohsiung MRT metropolitan rail network and the city’s light-rail system, would not only help boost local tourism and economic development, but also promote environmental protection.
The new route complements a ferry route linking Cijin with the Hamasen area (哈瑪星), a tourist destination in the port’s northwest.
The new route’s cost-to-performance ratio is high, as it improves connections between several tourist destinations, including the warehouse, Cijin and Hamasen, Hsu said.
Packages include tickets to Hamasen, the home of Hamasen Railway Cultural Park (哈瑪星鐵道文化園區), Takao Railway Museum (打狗鐵道故事館) and a number of scenic spots, night markets and historic sites.
Also on offer are discounted MRT and light-rail tickets to encourage more people to visit the area, where they can enjoy local culture, gourmet food and ocean scenery.
The ferry service would only be available on weekends and holidays, when it is to run at 30-minute intervals from 11am to 8pm.
However, it would operate between those hours every day during the summer break, the Kaohsiung City Government said.
Cijin is a small island that is a five to 10-minute ferry ride from Kaohsiung Harbor.
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