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Handicap-friendly buses start operation in Taipei

Forty-seven “handicap-friendly” low-floor buses began operation in Taipei yesterday, with the city government promising to increase the number to 300 buses within three years.

Twenty-two of the new buses will run on the Xinyi Road line, passing through Nangang District (南港), Xinyi Road and Ximending (西門町), while the other 25 will service routes between Donghu (東湖) and Nanjing West and East roads.

The city government and bus companies joined efforts to provide 20 low-floor buses on the Zhongxiao Road line earlier in March, with the buses passing through Zhongxiao West and East roads between Taipei Main Station and the Nangang Exhibition Center.

Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢), commissioner of Taipei City’s Transportation Department, said the buses were equipped with “no-step” low chassis that can be tilted 7cm towards the road, which makes it easier for handicapped and elderly passengers to get on and off the buses.

Luo said the department will add another 100 low-floor buses covering several more major bus routes, including Zhongshan South and North roads, Dunhua South and North roads and Mingsheng West and East roads.

Addressing the bus service launch ceremony, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said introducing low-floor buses was one of his campaign platforms and the city government would continue to encourage bus firms to replace old buses with new low-floor ones.

“We believe that the disabled, the elderly and children will all have a safer and more friendly riding experience by taking the new low-floor buses,” he said yesterday in front of National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall.

According to Lee Po-wen (李博文), president of the Capital Bus Group, which is responsible for the operation of the 47 new low-floor buses, the buses were equipped with technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The buses cost more than NT$6 million each, double the price of an ordinary bus, Lee said.

With the number of bus passengers rising 6 percent following the recent gas price hike, Lee said the company was optimistic about attracting more passengers to choose the bus over other forms of transportation.
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