A “hop-on, hop-off” double-decker bus service, the first of its kind in Taiwan, hit the road in Taipei yesterday, allowing tourists to visit major attractions in the capital in four hours for NT$300.
The bus, painted red, is equipped with mobile phone chargers, free Wi-Fi and audio tour guide services in Mandarin, English, Japanese and Korean, available via an app, the Taipei City Government said.
There are 47 seats on the upper deck — 10 sheltered and 37 open — and nine other seats, as well as one for passengers with disabilities on the lower level, it said.
Photo: CNA
During a launch ceremony, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that he hopes the service would give tourists a different perspective on Taipei.
There are six types of tickets: A four-hour ticket costs NT$300, a ticket valid during the daytime costs NT$500, a nighttime ticket costs NT$400, a full-day ticket costs NT$700 and a two-day ticket costs NT$1,200.
Passengers with disabilities, seniors (Taiwanese) and young children are entitled to a 50 percent discount on the fares.
Two circular routes, a “blue” one traveling north--south and a “red” one traveling east-west, starting from Taipei Railway Station and covering about 20km will be available, the city government said.
It takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete either route, but passengers can get on and get off on either route an unlimited number of times as long as their tickets remain valid. The eight buses that ply the two routes run every 30 to 40 minutes.
The blue route, which operates between 9:10am and 4:20pm, takes passengers to sites such as Ximending (西門町), the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Shilin Official Residence and the National Palace Museum.
The red route, which runs from 9am to 10pm, mainly travels through downtown with stops including Daan Forest Park (大安森林公園), Taipei 101 and nearby shopping areas, and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Passengers can pay using cash, EasyCards, iPasses or credit cards, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said, adding that standing is not allowed on the bus.
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