Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that removing seats on the mass rapid-transit (MRT) system’s Wenhu line is among the options being considered to alleviate peak-hour passenger volume on the often overwhelmed line.
Ko revealed the plan at a forum attended by companies in the Nangang Software Park in Taipei, where traffic issues in the often-congested Neihu District (內湖) were discussed.
“The seats will probably be removed in the future. We will be able to fit in more passengers by asking them to stand,” Ko said.
Photo: Kuo Yi, Taipei Times
Another option being considered is to make the seats retractable, so they can be put away during peak hours, he said.
The plan to remove seats was quickly met with mixed reviews, with some residents interviewed saying that seats, especially the priority seats reserved for elderly people, pregnant women and children, are necessary.
Pressed to comment further on the options, Ko said that removing chairs is contingent on a plan to increase services along the MRT line.
“If the cars are not filled after the time gap between services is reduced, why remove the chairs?” Ko said.
He said the Taipei Department of Transportation briefed him on plans to alleviate passenger volume, and a more detailed plan would be announced in the middle of next month.
The Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said it has set out plans to reduce the gap between services on the Wenhu line from 85 to 80 seconds.
Meanwhile, Planning and Development Division chief Huang Hui-ju (黃惠如) clarified Ko’s remarks, saying that only one or two seats could be removed per carriage.
As much of the MRT’s machinery and power system is stored under the seats, the majority of the seats cannot be removed or retracted, Huang said.
Citing a TRTC assessment, Huang said removing one to two seats in each carriage would help to boost the line’s capacity by between 600 and 700 passengers per hour during peak hours.
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