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.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are