New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday called on the central government to earmark more funding to subsidize a NT$1,200 (US$39.16) monthly public transport pass program for commuters in Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Taoyuan, which is set to begin in July.
The government’s plan to spend NT$20 billion over the next three years to subsidize regional transit pass projects across Taiwan is not enough, Hou told a regional public transport cooperation and development forum.
Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Taoyuan occupy about 10 percent of the nation’s land, and have a total population of more than 10 million people, Hou said.
Photo: CNA
A similar program currently in place in Taipei and New Taipei City — the All Pass Ticket — requires NT$1 billion in subsidies per year.
The All Pass Ticket program allows EasyCard holders to buy a monthly pass for NT$1,280, granting unlimited access to public buses, shared bicycles, light rail, MRT metropolitan railway system and other public transport in Taipei and New Taipei City.
In July, a cheaper NT$1,200 travel pass — which would not only cover Taipei and New Taipei City, but also Keelung and Taoyuan — is set to be launched, allowing commuters to take the MRT, city and intercity buses, YouBikes, ferries and Taiwan Railways Administration trains as many times as they like, Hou said.
Given the number of people likely to take advantage of the new cheaper monthly pass, the three-year NT$20 billion budget planned by the government for the subsidies would not be sufficient, Hou said.
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