The Taipei Department of Transportation yesterday announced that it plans to raise the fare for the Maokong Gondola from NT$50 to NT$150 (US$1.52 to US$4.55) per ride for non-Taipei residents starting next February, while the fare for Taipei residents will be raised to NT$60 per ride.
Department Commissioner Chung Hui-yu (鍾慧諭) unveiled the plans at a meeting of the Taipei City Council’s Transportation Committee.
The price hike is aimed at addressing deficits incurred by the gondola system, whose operation has been in the red for the past three years, Chung said, adding that the Taipei City Government has issued about NT$100 million to subsidize the gondolas’ operations during this term, she said.
Photo: Kuo Yi, Taipei Times
Chung said that the decision to increase the fare was made after taking into account that about 81 percent of gondola users are foreigners traveling in Taiwan and people from other Taiwanese municipalities, who will only use the gondola once.
She said that even after the fares are hiked, the Maokong Gondola would still be much cheaper than most gondolas in the world.
The announcement was met with strong criticism from Taipei city councilors, who expressed concerns about the fare hike upsetting passenger volumes.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Wang Wei-chung (王威中) cited an estimate carried out by the department last year that indicated that a fare hike of NT$20 would help the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), which operates the gondola, gain NT$30 million in annual revenue, but a NT$100 hike would only add NT$50 million to the firm’s revenue.
Wang told department officials that the fare increase might turn out to be harmful for the gondolas’ operations, as it could drive customers away.
He criticized the NT$10 hike for Taipei residents, saying that with discounts for residents paying for gondola fares by EasyCard canceled, the move would likely anger Taipei residents.
Chung said the hikes would take effect after Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) signs off on the plan.
Ko said that he would order the Taipei Office of Commerce to redouble efforts to introduce select trips for tourists to the Taipei Zoo, and recommend stores and tourist locations in the Maokong area on preferential fares to coincide with the fare hikes.
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