Fares for Love River (愛河) cruises and ferry and tourist line services in Kaohsiung City will be increased starting next Saturday to reflect higher fuel prices, the city government’s Transportation Bureau said yesterday.
The bureau said that regular ferry prices will be raised from NT$10 to NT$15, while student ticket prices will be increased from NT$5 to NT$12, and those for passengers with scooters from NT$10 to NT$20.
With fuel prices on the rise over the past year, ferry operators in the city have seen their losses grow.
PHOTO: HUANG CHI-YUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
Wang Kuo-tsai (王國材), director of the bureau, said that ferry operators in the city lost a combined NT$89.3 million (US$2.94 million) last year, while Kaohsiung Harborstream Ship Ltd, the operator of the Love River line called the Love Boat, lost about NT$6 million.
Love-boat prices for non-residents of Kaohsiung will be raised from NT$50 to NT$80, while preferential ticket prices will be increased from NT$25 to NT$40.
Tickets for passengers with vehicles will increase from NT$50 to NT$100, while the preferential rates for passengers with vehicles will be raised from NT$25 to NT$50. The rates for residents of the city will remain at current levels, the bureau said.
Meanwhile, ticket prices for city tourist lines for residents on non-holidays will remain at NT$100, while the price on holidays will be lowered from NT$150 to NT$100. The preferential rates for holidays will stay at NT$100, while the rate for non-holidays will drop from NT$80 to NT$50, the bureau said.
For non-residents, the ticket prices on regular days and holidays will be raised to NT$150, while the preferential ticket prices will be raised to NT$100, according to the bureau.
The Transportation Bureau said that the rate increases are being made in line with the principle of conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions.
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