The number of public bicycle rental stations in Taichung surpassed 1,000 much earlier than planned, the Taichung City Government said on Tuesday.
Promoting bicycle rental is part of Taichung’s “i-doors” transportation policy, which integrates the city’s public transportation services, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said.
After introducing the iBike system in 2014, Taichung in 2020 made the plan to increase the number of rental stations from 329 to 1,000 within three years, but reached the goal much earlier, as the system continues to enjoy great public demand, Lu said.
Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei Times
Since its inception, the city has shifted its focus from iBike 1.0 technology to YouBike 2.0, as there were only a few iBike stations, which were far apart and had little turnover, Taichung Transportation Bureau Director-General Yeh Chao-fu (葉昭甫) said.
The new system has more convenient features, including rental by QR code, he said.
Some locations would be given priority for new stations, including neighborhoods near MRT metropolitan railway stations, major tourist attractions and transport hubs, Lu said.
All 18 stations on the Taichung MRT’s Green line are equipped with bicycle rental stations, while the number of rental stations in Nantun District (南屯) has been increased from 25 to 85, Yeh said.
From October last year to January, monthly rentals surpassed 1 million, Yeh said, adding that the system’s cumulative ridership is 51 million.
To protect rental bicycle users, the city government provides injury insurance and third-person liability coverage, he added.
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