Bus passengers in Taipei and New Taipei are now required to swipe their smart cards on entry and exit, as of Monday, as the two cities move to standardize the payment system, according to the Taipei Public Transportation Office.
The new procedure will help to avoid confusion about when the smart card should be swiped and will provide more precise travel data for city authorities who plan bus routes, the office said.
Before July, the system of payment had not been standardized in the two cities, with passengers sometimes required to pay on boarding, sometimes on alighting, and both times on some routes.
Photo: Lin Chia-yu, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者林家宇
The new system is being implemented in two phases, allowing passengers to become accustomed to the change, the office said.
In the first phase, from July 1 to January, passengers who comply with the new regulation by swiping their cards on entry and exit will gain a chance on each trip to win a prize in a lottery.
On an average bus trip, the standard fare of NT$15 (US$0.5) will be deducted when the passenger swipes on boarding, and no additional amount will be charged on alighting, the office said.
Photo: Huang Chien-hao, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者黃建豪
On longer segmented routes, the additional amount will be deducted when the passenger swipes on alighting, the office said.
In the second phase of the new regulation, which will start Feb. 1, passengers who fail to comply will not be eligible for the discount rates when they transfer within an hour to the Taipei MRT system or a YouBike, the transportation office said.
There will be no other penalty, however, for not swiping on alighting, according to the office.
Photo: Kuo Chia-an, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者郭家安
(CNA)
台北市交通局公共運輸處表示，為了讓台北市和新北市的公車刷卡制度一致，週一起，民眾搭乘台北市和新北市的公車，上下車時都必須刷卡。
公運處表示，新制將有助於避免乘客對該何時刷卡感到無所適從，且可蒐集更完整的旅運資料，有助於研擬更符合需求的路線或班次。
Photo: Chang Ching-ya, Liberty Times
照片： 自由時報記者張菁雅
之前雙北的公車收費方式並未統一，有的規定乘客在上車時付費，有的必須在下車時付費，而有些路線是上下車皆須付費。
公運處表示，新制度將分兩階段實施，以便讓乘客能夠漸進適應。
第一階段是從七月一日到明年一月，只要完成一次上下車皆刷卡就可參加抽獎，完成次數越多中獎機率越高。
公運處表示，坐一趟普通距離的公車，乘客在上車刷卡時，會扣除十五元新台幣（零點五美元）的標準票價，而下車刷卡時並不會再扣款。
若搭乘較多段的路線，那麼乘客下車刷卡時，就會再度扣款。
第二階段將自二○二○年二月一日起實施，屆時乘客若未能在上下車時皆刷卡，將無法享有轉乘優惠（轉乘指在一小時內轉搭台北捷運或使用YouBike單車）。
然而，公運處說，乘客並不會因為在下車時沒刷卡而受到其他懲罰。
（台北時報林俐凱譯）
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