In anticipation of increased traffic during the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday which starts next week, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday announced traffic control plans, discounted tolls during designated hours and added public transportation services from next week to Jan. 29.
The ministry expects traffic on highways to peak between the fourth (Jan. 26) and sixth day (Jan. 28) of the holiday, when many people would be traveling across the nation or returning to work, Department of Railways and Highways Director-General Chen Wen-ruey (陳文瑞) told a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei.
From Tuesday next week to Jan. 30, the Taiwan High Speed Rail is to add 386 services, bringing the total number to 1,805, while the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is to add 279 services and 977 carriages, Chen said.
Photo: CNA
“Red-eye” trains are to be added to the TRA’s services from Tuesday next week to Jan. 29, he said.
In addition, discounted fares are to be offered on the Fuhsing Express, with the fare from Taipei to Hualien County and from Taipei to Yilan County reduced to NT$200 and NT$100 respectively, he said.
Tolls are to be waived from midnight to 5am on highways form Thursday next week to Jan. 29, while a high-occupancy vehicle scheme is to be implemented along certain sections of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1), Formosa Freeway (Freeway No. 3) and the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway (Freeway No. 5), he said.
From Wednesday next week to Jan. 29, passengers traveling on 89 intercity bus routes are to enjoy a 15 percent discount on fares, and a 50 percent discount on 39 intercity bus routes listed by the Tourism Bureau on taiwantrip.com.tw if they purchase electronic tickets, he said.
To encourage people to use public transportation, intercity bus or TRA passengers can transfer for free to local buses, he said.
People traveling overseas during the holiday are encouraged to check in using kiosks at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and clear the boarding procedure online or at the Taoyuan Metro A1 Terminal in advance, he said.
As for those traveling to Kinmen or Penghu, carriers are to add 3,216 flights that can accommodate 248,000 passengers from Wednesday next week to Feb. 2, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said.
The additional flights are to be provided by Uni Air and Mandarin Airlines, he said.
Far Eastern Air ceased operations last month, he added.
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