Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that the Taipei Twin Towers construction project in the Taipei Railway Station area is to begin in June 2018 and would cost NT$70 billion (US$2.23 billion).
During his policy address at the Taipei City Council, Ko said that the city government would request a budget of NT$70 billion from the city council during this session and asked the council to support the project.
Saying that all legal cases regarding the Taipei Twin Towers project had been settled, Ko said that he hoped construction would begin in June 2018.
Ko touted his plan to tear down the Taipei West Bus Station to make space for a planned park, saying that it would help push up property values in the area after the MRT’s airport line is opened.
The project is in a bidding process pending a project contractor.
Ko also said that MRT fares would not be raised during his term.
Instead, he has instructed the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) to maximize commercial gains from advertisements and leasing out commercial space at MRT stations, adding that this would eliminate the need for a fare hike.
The city has allowed a company to rent out lockers at some MRT stations, which earned the city about NT$80 million last year, Ko said.
Some spaces inside MRT stations that had been used as offices have been vacated and used as stores, so that the city can earn more rent income, he said.
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