Few people make use of public transport, a survey by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) showed, with ridership on the nation’s public transportation system hovering at just 13 percent.
The survey, conducted between Oct. 6 and Dec. 18 last year, showed that a majority of respondents preferred to drive a car or scooter when traveling. Of the 24,943 valid samples collected, 49 percent said they ride scooters, while 23 percent said they drive cars.
More women make use of public transportation at 17 percent, compared with men, with only 9.9 percent doing so.
When asked why they did not use public transport, respondents cited “inconvenience” as the No. 1 reason. “Living far from the nearest station or stop” and “living close to the destination” were the second and third main reasons.
The survey also found that Taipei City topped other cities and counties in terms of public transportation use, scoring a high 34 percent. It was followed by Keelung City, Taipei County and Taoyuan County, with utilization rates reaching 29.4 percent, 24.9 percent and 11.9 percent respectively.
Those that scored below 5 percent included Hualien County, Penghu County, Taitung County, Tainan City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County. Chiayi City ranked last with only 2.5 percent.
The findings, released on Thursday, came two days after MOTC Minister Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said the ministry was budgeting NT$15 billion (US$467 million) on a three-year project to improve the public transportation system nationwide.
Last month, the ministry rejected plans from several counties to build MRT or light-rail systems. Mao said the ministry would continue to use strict standards to evaluate each proposal.
“The government has to be responsible for the operation of railway systems,” Mao said at the time. “Billions in losses will soon occur if the railway system does not carry sufficient passengers to sustain its operation.”
Rather than subsidizing the debt-ridden railway system, Mao said the subsidy would be put to better use developing the public bus system.
He said many places still lacked a good “public transportation system,” adding that what they need is a “public” and not “mass” transportation system. The two are different modes of transportation, he said.
Chi Wen-chung (祁文中), director-general of the ministry’s Department of Railways and Highways, said NT$4.5 billion would be allocated for the first-year of the project. About NT$2 billion will be used to subsidize the bus routes in remote areas and as cross-subsidies for different transportation systems.
He added that the rest of the budget would be spent on specific projects, such as developing “door-to-door” networks from the high speed rail stations and Taiwan Railway Administration stations, he said.
In other news, Kaohsiung City’s Transportation Bureau announced that passengers taking taxis in the city during the Lunar New Year holidays will be charged an additional NT$50.
The measure will apply from Feb. 12 — one day before the Lunar New Year holidays begin — to Feb. 18, the bureau said.
Free bus rides will be provided from Feb. 13 to Feb. 18, the bureau said, adding that residents and visitors to the city could also use the city’s public bikes for free during the holidays.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS