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Weekend, holiday trial period for bicycles on MRT

Bicyclists will be allowed to take bicycles onto some MRT trains during weekends and national holidays starting tomorrow, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) announced yesterday.

The three-month trial is in response to the requests of bicycle advocacy groups, TRTC vice president Chang Huan-kuang (張煥光) said.

"TRTC is happy to promote the idea of biking with the MRT, which is good for the environment and traffic," Chang said. "And citizens can enjoy biking in Tamsui by taking the MRT on holidays."

According to Chang, 15 stations along the Tamsui, Hsintien and Chungho lines are opening to bicyclists.

The Mucha and Panchiao-Nankang lines will not take part in the trial.

As well as restrictions on which stations and days people can take their bicycles on trains, no bicycles will be allowed in the MRT system after 4pm.

Bicyclists will only be allowed to take their bikes on the first and the last cars of each train, with a maximum of eight bicycles per car and one bike per person. The fare will be NT$100 per person.

Bicyclists will also have to take elevators rather than escalators to enter MRT stations.

Bicyclists who violate the regulations will be fined between NT$1,500 and NT$7,500, Chang said.

Four Taipei City councilors yesterday went to Gungguan station to test whether the facilities are friendly to bicyclists.

After taking the MRT with her bicycle from Gungguan to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall station, Councilor Lin I-hua (林奕華) found it would be a challenge for women and child bicyclists to enter MRT stations via the elevator and signs and notices for the new measure were not clear.
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