Several youth groups in Taiwan have initiated an online fundraising campaign to help transport Taiwanese students and young adults to their hometowns to vote in the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 13.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy (TYAD) in collaboration with 30 university student groups, was launched on the crowdfunding platform flyingV, with the aim of raising least NT$600,000 (US$19,040), TYAD managing director Alvin Chang (張育萌) said on Friday.
With the funds, the youth groups would be able to hire about 30 intercity shuttle buses that would transport young voters throughout Taiwan to where they are registered to vote, Chang said.
The money would also be used to subsidize the cost of ferry trips and domestic flights to and from Taiwan’s offshore counties, he said, adding that it is hoped at least 2,000 young voters would take advantage of the offers.
The intercity shuttle buses are to run on Jan. 12 and 13, offering transportation to voters aged 20 to 35, at a subsidized fare of NT$113 per person, the TYAD said.
The youth groups that launched the fundraiser are not accepting donations from political parties for the initiative, National Students’ Union of Taiwan chairwoman Weng Hsin-jou (翁歆媃) said.
The fundraising effort is being carried out solely to help young people travel back to their hometowns at an affordable price, she said.
Sera Fangis Pacidal, an student at National Taiwan University’s Department of Social Work, said that traveling from Taipei to his hometown in Hualien County on election day is usually a challenge, as bus and train tickets are hard to obtain, and prices are high.
There are many university students from the east coast and island counties who also find it challenging to return home on election day, due to transportation issues and because it is close to the end of the semester, he said.
Another student, who is studying in New Taipei City, but is from Kaohsiung, said that if she had to travel home to vote, she would have to fork out NT$1,500 for a one-way high-speed rail ticket, which would be a financial strain.
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