The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on Monday announced that its fourth-generation ticketing system is to launch on Feb. 21, with group ticketing to begin on Feb. 23.
The agency spent NT$1.7 billion (US$55.02 million) to develop the new system, which is to replace a platform that has been in use for 14 years.
Although the agency initially planned to launch the system on Jan. 7, a failed stress test had caused it to be postponed until some time before the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday next week.
Photo: CNA
However, the agency on Monday said that it would further postpone the launch to Feb. 21.
From Feb. 23, people would be able to book advance group tickets for trains departing on April 23 and afterward, it said.
From April 9, people would be able to book individual tickets for trains departing on April 23 and later, it added.
The new system features a variety of smart functions to facilitate ticketing, the agency said.
However, as it is currently focused on Lunar New Year services, the agency said that it decided to use the holiday to conduct more tests to ensure the system’s reliability.
Postponing the launch of the new ticketing system was a responsible decision, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
“I focus more on the system’s best availability rate. The TRA should not launch a system if it is not fully prepared to operate it,” he said.
Asked if the Ministry of Transportation and Communications would consider adjusting TRA ticket prices, which have remained unchanged for more than two decades, Lin said that would be a key area of concern when the government conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the agency.
The Executive Yuan would soon set up a task force to reform the agency, he said.
“As a mass transport service provider, the agency has been entrusted with many government tasks, which caused it to accumulate heavy financial losses,” Lin said. “The burden should not be carried by the TRA alone; the government should bear part of the burden.”
“You cannot look to solve the TRA’s problems merely by raising ticket prices. The task force will produce a plan with complementary measures,” he said.
The task force would consider the best availability rate that the agency should strive to achieve, as well as the proper amount of government funding that it should receive, Lin said, adding that it would also consider a basis for setting reasonable ticket prices.
Asked if the ministry would propose that the TRA receive subsidies to compensate for its losses, Lin said that it would try to resolve various issues facing the agency by requesting more resources from the Cabinet, adding that the agency has provided him with data to consider.
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