The fares for the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line will be reduced by NT$10 from October, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday.
The service, which started in March last year, has made a profit and the company wants to give back to its passengers, Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said during a city council session.
The company said it expects the price cut to boost ridership, as similar promotions have been well received.
Ongoing promotions, including a 20 percent discount for Taoyuan residents as well as transfer discounts, will continue, it said.
The fare for traveling between Taipei Main Station and Taoyuan Terminal Station is NT$160.
Daily ridership reached an average of 61,000 people in the first six months of this year, up by about 9 percent from a year earlier, the company said.
In other news, the Chiayi Forest District Office yesterday said that stargazers are invited to attend a series of events to observe the Perseid meteor shower from Aug. 10 to Aug. 15 in Alishan National Scenic Area.
The Perseids are annual meteor showers associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle and can be observed from the end of July through August, the office said.
The scenic area, which is 2,000m above sea level, is an ideal spot for stargazing and its low light pollution offers great visibility, it added.
The three-part events, organized jointly with the Chiayi Astronomical Society, are to take place on Aug. 10 and 11; on Aug. 13 and 14; and on Aug. 14 and 15, the office said.
The events would include morning activities, such as train rides, forest tours and birdwatching, before groups head to the Xiaoliyuanshan viewing platform to watch the meteor shower, it added.
People who want to attend the events can book in advance online via https://goo.gl/8iVNmb, the office said.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
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A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
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