The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday said it has not yet decided whether to raise ticket prices, although the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has given it the green light.
Based on the new scheme announced by the ministry at the end of last month, THSRC’s base fare is to be raised from NT$4.009 per kilometer to NT$4.134 per kilometer.
Should the high-speed rail operator decide to adopt the new scheme, a one-way ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung’s Zuoying (左營) would rise from NT$1,490 (US$49.12) to NT$1,570.
Riders would have to pay an additional NT$160 if they were to purchase a round-trip ticket, while a family of four would have to shell out NT$640 more.
A one-way fare from Taipei to Taichung would increase by NT$40 to NT$740, while a ticket from Taipei to Tainan would rise from NT$1,350 to NT$1,425.
People traveling from Taipei to Hsinchu would have to pay NT$15 more for a one-way ticket, which would cost NT$305.
The Bureau of High Speed Rail said the new base fare scheme was approved based on changes in the consumer price index.
The last time the high-speed rail system’s base fare was adjusted was in 2013, when it increased from NT$3.655 per kilometer to NT$4.009 per kilometer, the bureau said.
THSRC increased ticket prices accordingly in the same year, with a one-way ticket from Taipei to Zuoying costing NT$1,630.
However, with the company on the brink of bankruptcy in 2015, the government invested NT$30 billion in THSRC, restructured its finances and became its largest shareholder.
Ticket prices were then rolled back to pre-2013 levels.
The bureau said it is up to the company to decide it if wants to adjust ticket prices this time.
THSRC also issued a statement, saying the final decision will have to be made by its board of directors.
“We will submit a proposal to the company’s board, asking them to consider the terms of our contract with the government, as well as the high-speed rail system’s operating costs, market competitiveness and passenger demands,” the company said.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said the ministry has not received a response from THSRC, urging it to carefully evaluate all possibilities before making a decision.
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