People using the Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line were encouraged to take advantage of special discounts after the Taoyuan Metro started charging full fares yesterday.
The company had given airport MRT line passengers a 50 percent discount for one month after the system was launched on March 2.
To mark the first month of the line’s operation, the company yesterday morning distributed longan-flavored cupcakes to passengers in all stations along the line.
Photo: CNA
Traveling from Taipei Main Station (A1) to Airport Terminal 1 (A12) or Terminal 2 (A13) costs NT$160.
The company said that individual commuters will get a 30 percent discount if they purchase a 30-day pass, adding that they will get a 35 percent or 40 percent discount if they buy a 60-day or a 90-day pass, respectively.
The pass cards will have the cardholder’s name on them and will grant unlimited access to the line between designated stations.
The company also offers discounts to corporations, communities, schools and government agencies.
Groups purchasing more than 300 tickets at a time would be given a 50 percent discount, the company said.
Company statistics showed that the line’s ridership reached 1.8 million between March 2 and March 28, with an average of 66,000 passengers per day.
Average daily ridership was about 57,000 on weekdays and 90,000 on weekends and holidays during the period.
Some people said that the company’s real challenge has begun as it must boost ridership without offering discounts to all passengers.
A 20-year-old woman, surnamed Su (蘇), said she has been commuting between Taipei Main Station and the Chang Kung Memorial Hospital Station for the past two weeks.
She said that although it is convenient to use the line, the ticket price will cost more than the bus fare now that the MRT line charges full price.
Su said she will switch back to taking the bus.
A 36-year-old man, surnamed Fu (傅), said that using the line is much more comfortable and convenient than driving.
He said he does not think the cost of riding the line would be too high for him, as he is not a frequent passenger.
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