About 620,000 commuters in 11 cities and counties are to benefit from the T-Pass, which is to launch on July 1, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced yesterday.
The T-Pass that could be used in Taipei, Taoyuan, Keelung and New Taipei City would cost NT$1,200 per month, giving people unlimited access to MRT systems, light rail, city buses, highway buses and Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) services operating within the four cities.
T-Pass users in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung would be eligible for the first 30 minutes of a YouBike ride free of charge, while those in Taoyuan would get the first hour for free.
Photo: CNA
Commuters in those cities can purchase T-Passes issued by EasyCard Corp (悠遊卡).
T-Passes in Taichung, and Changhua, Nantou and Miaoli counties would cost NT$699 per month for Taichung residents and NT$999 for residents of the three counties.
Commuters can use T-Passes to access MRT systems, city buses, highway buses and TRA services operating within the region.
Those in Taichung, Changhua and Miaoli would have access to the first 30 minutes of a YouBike ride for free with a T-Pass.
The Taichung City Government is offering two other T-Pass monthly plans for commuters traveling within the city, including a NT$299 option for Taichung residents and a NT$599 offer for non-residents.
T-Passes in this region would be issued by EasyCard Corp, iPass Corp (一卡通票證) and iCash Corp (愛金卡), but those issued by iCash Corp cannot be used for TRA services or YouBike.
T-Passes in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County would cost NT$999 per month.
In addition to the MRT system, light rail, bus, railway and bike services, commuters within that area can use T-Passes for ferry services connecting Gushan (鼓山) and Cijin (旗津), and Cianjhen (前鎮) and Jhongjhou (中洲) in Kaohsiung.
Commuters in the region can choose a T-pass plan that costs NT$399 if they only travel within one county, while those in Tainan and Pingtung County can choose a T-Pass plan that costs NT$299, but does not include TRA services.
The introduction of the T-Pass would help the government achieve net zero carbon emissions, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) told a news conference in Taipei.
The plan would be implemented earlier than planned thanks to a special budget of NT$20 billion (US$650.2 million) over three years, Wang said.
“If it proves to be an effective way to increase public transportation usage, we would continue funding the program using a regular budget,” he said.
People can purchase T-Passes at MRT, railway and bus stations, as well as at convenience stores and township offices from Thursday next week, the ministry said, adding that they can be used from July 1.
The number of T-Pass users could reach 620,000 during the initial phase, including 500,000 in the north, 80,000 in central Taiwan and 40,000 in the south, the Directorate-General of Highways said, adding that it is still considering T-Pass plans proposed by nine other cities and counties.
FORCED LABOR: A US court listed three Taiwanese and nine firms based in Taiwan in its indictment, with eight of the companies registered at the same address Nine companies registered in Taiwan, as well as three Taiwanese, on Tuesday were named by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) as a result of a US federal court indictment. The indictment unsealed at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, said that Chen Zhi (陳志), a dual Cambodian-British national, is being indicted for fraud conspiracy, money laundering and overseeing Prince Holding Group’s forced-labor scam camps in Cambodia. At its peak, the company allegedly made US$30 million per day, court documents showed. The US government has seized Chen’s noncustodial wallet, which contains
SUPPLY CHAIN: Taiwan’s advantages in the drone industry include rapid production capacity that is independent of Chinese-made parts, the economic ministry said The Executive Yuan yesterday approved plans to invest NT$44.2 billion (US$1.44 billion) into domestic production of uncrewed aerial vehicles over the next six years, bringing Taiwan’s output value to more than NT$40 billion by 2030 and making the nation Asia’s democratic hub for the drone supply chain. The proposed budget has NT$33.8 billion in new allocations and NT$10.43 billion in existing funds, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Under the new development program, the public sector would purchase nearly 100,000 drones, of which 50,898 would be for civil and government use, while 48,750 would be for national defense, it said. The Ministry of
SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan. The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against. While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US
NINE-IN-ONE ELECTIONS: Prosecutors’ offices recorded 115 cases of alleged foreign interference in the presidential election campaign from August 2023 to Dec. 13 last year The National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday said that it has begun planning early to counter Chinese interference in next year’s nine-in-one elections as its intelligence shows that Beijing might intensify its tactics, while warning of continued efforts to infiltrate the government and military. The bureau submitted a report to the Legislative Yuan ahead of a meeting today of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. “We will research situations in different localities and keep track of abnormalities to ensure that next year’s elections proceed without disruption,” the bureau said. Although the project is generally launched during election years, reports of alleged Chinese interference
RSS