A fleet of 500 “arts and culture” cabs was launched in Taipei City yesterday in a ceremony organized by the Taiwan Taxi Company and the municipal government’s Department of Cultural Affairs.
The cabs are adorned on the right side with colorful advertisements promoting cultural activities in Taipei, including the Taipei Film Festival, Art Taipei 2008 and the Taipei Children’s Arts Festival.
The taxis also provide a variety of promotional pamphlets and guides to various cultural sites around the city.
Cultural Affairs Department director Lee Yong-ping (李永萍), who attended the launch ceremony, said the cab drivers could serve as culture guides to visitors to Taipei.
LECTURES
Every month, all of the “arts and culture” taxi drivers will attend two-hour lectures to learn about various cultural attractions, Lee said.
The lectures, which the drivers began attending last month, include promotional films on different sites and information presented by guest speakers to equip the taxi drivers with the tools to serve tourists, said Su Yao-hua (蘇瑤華), executive director of the Taipei Cultural Foundation, which prepared the taxi ads together with the culture department.
SHOWING OFF
Taiwan Taxi Company deputy general manager Lee Chiung-shu (李瓊淑) said the drivers of the “arts and culture” cabs would be fortunate to show tourists Taipei’s many interesting attractions.
Lee Yong-ping said the “arts and culture” cabs were being launched on a trial basis until the end of this year, at which time an assessment would be conducted on whether the fleet should be expanded.
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