The nation’s largest bicycle manufacturer and biggest flight carrier signed a memorandum yesterday in a bid to tap into the recent cycling craze.
Giant chairman King Liu (劉金標) and China Airlines (CAL) chairman Philip Wei (魏幸雄) attended the ceremony yesterday morning to sign the agreement.
Janice Lai (賴瑟珍), Tourism Bureau director-general, attended the ceremony as a special guest and said the government had budgeted about NT$700 million (US$21 million) to expand the nation’s bicycle routes. A majority of the funding will be dedicated to construction along the east coast, where bikers can enjoy spectacular views and quality bike tours.
Giant president John Ho (何守仁) said both companies had exchanged thoughts on the proposal of tracking the kilometers that bikers travel in Taiwan and converting them to flight mileage on CAL’s membership cards. CAL, however, had not yet decided whether to implement the plan, Ho said.
Giant also said it was also in the process of applying with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for an official license to operate a travel agency that offers bike tour services.
In related news, the Taiwan Railway Administration and the Northeast and Ilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration are jointly promoting a cruise train service that allows travelers to tour around the nation’s northeast coast with bicycles.
The train will depart on Saturday from Taipei and go strait to Fulong (福隆), where the train will stay for four hours.
Those participating in the bike tour will receive a small gift, officials said.
After Fulong, the train will bring the tourists to a forestry park in Lotung (羅東), where they can see old locomotives, railways and wooden craftwork.
Reservations for the cruise train can be made online or at train stations.
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