A recent survey conducted by -Yahoo-Kimo showed the “top five complaints” about Taipei’s MRT system, with most respondents unhappy about high ticket prices and the lack of a monthly ticket.
A total of 24 percent of respondents said expensive tickets was their main complaint about the MRT and they called for a monthly ticket to reduce the cost, according to the online poll entitled “micro-revolution of the MRT,” which collected more than 5,000 responses.
In addition, 12 percent of respondents expressed discontent with other passengers’ behavior, including failing to allow passengers to exit first, making telephone calls in a loud voice, leaning against the armrests and an unwillingness to yield seats to those in need.
Some respondents also grumbled about the insufficient parking spaces around MRT stations for motorcycles, whereas those for bicycles were relatively adequate.
The labyrinthine layout of the MRT’s Taipei Main Station was also a subject of discontent among respondents, with many saying its signs are muddled and cause passengers to get lost.
As the number of passengers using the Wenshan-Neihu line continues to rise, the medium-capacity transit system can no longer accommodate the volume of passengers, creating a crowded and stuffy environment in the carriages, respondents said.
“Its original design can no longer cope with demand,” respondent Meng Tzu-hao (孟子浩) said. “The carriages are always tightly packed with commuters during rush hours, which has greatly reduced the quality of travel and it must be modified.”
Passengers also made suggestions to improve the carriages, including alterations in the design of the seating, extending the carriages and enhancing the quality of the air conditioning.
In response, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp general manager Tan Gwa-guang (譚國光) said the company had made an effort to keep down costs for commuters this year by subsidizing passengers transferring from the MRT to buses to the tune of NT$1.3 billion (US$43.3 million).
The company has no plans to introduce a monthly pass, but it would take customers’ suggestions into consideration, he said.
As for the availability of parking spaces for motorbikes, Tan said it depended on the circumstances at each MRT station, as the company first has to guarantee sufficient parking spaces for bicycles, as part of efforts to promote the reduction of carbon emissions.
Acknowledging the complexity of Taipei Main Station, Tan promised to simplify the signs at the station and said he was also considering providing a direction guide service to passengers.
On the mounting dissatisfaction with the Wenshan-Neihu Line, Tan said the platform designs have reserved space for possible capacity enlargement in the future and that the company has plans to procure six-carriage rolling stock to supersede the current four-carriage trains.
He said the company would increase the frequency of the services on the line during rush hour to better cope with the volume of passengers.
Translated by Stacy Hsu, staff writer
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