Massive crowds at the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taoyuan on Saturday overwhelmed local transit systems, resulting in significant delays and widespread frustration.
The main event, held near the integrated station of Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR) and Taoyuan Airport MRT, recorded about 2.2 million attendees, the Taoyuan City Government said.
The annual festival started on Wednesday last week.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
The surge in festivalgoers led to severe congestion, with some passengers reportedly stuck at MRT stations.
“It took me half an hour just to get out of the MRT station,” a user complained on social media platform Threads.
Additionally, road restrictions prevented taxis from accessing the HSR station, causing some passengers to wait up to two hours for a ride.
In response, the city government announced measures to alleviate the congestion.
Starting yesterday, the Taoyuan Airport MRT increased its frequency to one train every 7.5 minutes from 2pm, and additional shuttle buses were deployed between MRT stations near the festival venue from 5pm.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications also urged festival attendees to consider alternative transportation options such as Taiwan Railway, which added 41 extra local trains last weekend and next weekend.
The arrangements aim to facilitate transfers at Taiwan Railway’s Jhongli (中壢), Neili (內壢) and Yangmei (楊梅) stations, the ministry said, adding that shuttle buses are available at Neili and Yangmei stations to assist with further connections.
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