The Taipei City Government is to compensate Kuo-kuang Motor Transport after two terminals operated by the company at the Taipei West Bus Station are torn down next month, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-he (柯文哲) said.
At a ceremony on Saturday marking the retirement of the station, Kuo-Kuang vice president Wang Ying-chieh (王應傑) said Ko’s West District Gateway Project would let people see the west of Taipei in a new light.
The city is demolishing the two terminals as part of the project to make room for bus stops, which would allow for a more efficient use of the space, the city government has said, giving about 50,000 people per day access to the site compared with 30,000 at present.
Removing the station is also necessary to change the area around the historic North Gate (北門) from one of the city’s most complicated intersections into a pedestrian-friendly plaza.
“The company believes it will be paid reasonable compensation within legal parameters, even though the city government has said that it would not be compensated,” Wang said.
Ko said “we will compensate you with the sum that you should compensated,” adding he had put Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基) in charge of the matter.
The company and the city disagree on the amount of compensation, with the company asking for NT$300 million (US$9.48 million).
While Taipei Department of Transportation Commissioner Chang Jer-yang (張哲揚) has said that a contract with the firm states that no compensation is necessary if the city reclaims the land under the station for development needs, the city reportedly plans to pay NT$51 million in compensation.
Chang said the company would file a lawsuit against the city to determine how much it should be compensated.
As of yesterday, people traveling to Taoyuan are to wait for their buses at Taipei Railway Station’s North 1 gate, while those headed for Keelung, Jinshan or Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport should wait at the station’s East 3 gate, which would save them about eight minutes when transferring between the railway or mass rapid transit system and the bus system, the department said.
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