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.
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