Passengers taking taxis in Taipei City will be able to pay the taxi fare with their EasyCard by November at the earliest, Taipei Smart Card Corp said yesterday.
During a report to Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday, Taipei Smart Card general manager Lin Chih-ying (林志盈) said the firm will sign up approximately 1,000 taxis for a trial of the scheme by August.
Lin said the trial scheme will include discounts for the elderly and for the physically and mentally disadvantaged.
This would be done by applying their current bus fare discount quota to their taxi fare, he said.
Under the discount bus fare scheme for the elderly, each eligible person receives a monthly discount up to a maximum of NT$480 (US$14.54).
The exact details of the taxi fare discount scheme still require further deliberation between the firm and the city government, Lin said.
Lin said allowing passengers to pay by pre-paid card is an international trend, adding that it is convenient for passengers and drivers since passengers do not have to carry cash while drivers would not suffer any losses as a result of being paid in counterfeit bank notes.
But the installation and maintenance of required equipment inside 1,000 taxis would cost NT$25.2 million, he said, adding that the company is seeking city government funding to cover the costs.
Hau said the city government would give priority to funding to help the physically and mentally disadvantaged and the elderly, estimated to be approximately 110,000 people in total.
That funding is expected to cost the city government NT$200 million, the mayor said.
If the budget allows it, the city government would seek to subsidize this full amount, he said.
The city government would also discuss whether more people should be subsidized, he said, adding that the details still need to be discussed.
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