The new Songshan line of Taipei’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system saw generally smooth operation during its debut yesterday, although some passengers found it confusing to find the right platform.
At the Songjiang Nanjing Station, passengers were orderly as they took the line that is scheduled to run free of charge for one month, with many taking the time to print the station’s stamp on a piece of paper, to keep as a souvenir.
Lee Shu-nu, who lives in Sanchong, New Taipei City, said the new line makes it easier for her to reach the Songshan area, where both a major railway station, a popular night market and a shopping district for ready-to-wear clothing are located.
“I can transfer from the Orange [Xinlu-Zhonghe] Line to the Songshan Line to go to the Raohe Street Night Market,” the 72-year-old said.
However, some passengers seemed uncertain if they were heading in the right direction, because at the Songjiang Nanjing Station, passengers cannot simply walk across to the other side to catch trains running in the opposite direction; they have to go up or down some stairs to reach the other platform.
This means if passengers take the wrong turn, they have to walk a considerable distance to get to the right platform.
To help passengers get used to the new design, the Metro said it would dispatch 240 staff wearing an “Ask Me Please” jacket at all the Songshan Line stations during its first month of operation.
The 8.5km-long Songshan Line is an extension of the Xindian Line which is color coded green.
The new section is a 15 minute ride from New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) to Ximen (西門) in the heart of Taipei and runs east through six other stations before ending up at Songshan Station, where passengers can transfer to take railway trains to other parts of the nation.
From west to east, the six stations are Beimen, Zhongshan, Songjiang Nanjing, Nanjing Fuxing, Taipei Arena and Nanjing Sanmin.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS