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Railway administration expands EasyCard scheme

A passenger swipes his EasyCard at Taipei Main Station as part of a test to board the Taroko Express yesterday. PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES

As of yesterday, Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) passengers can use their EasyCard to pay for rail travel between Keelung and Jhongli (中壢), the busiest commuter line on the west coast. Since June, the administration has allowed passengers to pay for tickets using their EasyCard for journeys between Taipei and Shulin (樹林). Card sensors were installed in Taipei, Banciao (板橋), Wanhua (萬華) and Shulin.

The measure has proven to be popular among commuters and as of Thursday, more than 9,000 passengers had used EasyCards to pay for their rail fares.

The success has encouraged the administration to increase the number of stations that offer the service. Passengers using EasyCards can board any type of TRA train and they only have to pay the price of a commuter train. On top of that, those using EasyCards will also enjoy a 10 percent discount. For example, a one-way ticket from Keelung to Jhongli paid for by EasyCard costs NT$90.

The administration said the special offer is only for passengers traveling between Keelung and Jhongli. Those who are traveling beyond those stations are not advised to pay by EasyCard. Passengers who do will be asked to pay the difference in cash.

In other travel developments, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Transportation said yesterday that the average number of passengers on Taipei’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system reached 1.15 million per day last month.

The figure marks an increase of 5.5 percent over the average 1.09 million per day who used the MRT during the same month last year, said Hung Tsang-lang (洪滄浪), head of the department’s Planning and Development Division.

Meanwhile, passenger numbers on Taipei City’s buses stood at 1.64 million per day last month, he said. That figure was down from the 1.67 million in the same month last year, but the average number of passengers per day since July 16 had risen to 1.72 million, he said.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said that public transportation use has been rising, largely because of the increase in fuel prices, with many city residents opting to leave their car at home to save money.
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