Taipei’s YouBike rental system is expected to log its 400 millionth ride soon, with the lucky rider to receive NT$20,000 of gift vouchers, while the five riders before and after would each get NT$1,000 of gift vouchers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said in a statement on Thursday.
Launched in August 2012, the public bike rental service reached 100 million rides in April 2018, 200 million three-and-a-half years later and 300 million after another two-and-a-half years, the department said.
The service had recorded more than 399.8 million rides and the 400 millionth is expected soon, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Transportation via CNA
To celebrate the milestone, the department, in cooperation with the operator, Giant Manufacturing Co, would conduct draws for 40 additional prizes on YouBike’s Facebook page for greater Taipei (YouBike大台北粉絲團), it said.
Once the 400 millionth ride is reached, the list of winners would be announced on the YouBike Web site and the Facebook page, the department said.
Winners would be notified by phone and text message, but no calls would be made requesting bank transfers, it said, adding that the public should stay alert to avoid scams.
Since reinstating its “first 30 minutes free” policy last year, daily average YouBike ridership has jumped by 53 percent to about 200,000, department data showed.
Services in greater Taipei would continue to expand, with the goal to have 2,000 stations and 4,500 electric-assisted YouBike 2.0Es by next year as part of the 2050 net zero carbon plan, the department said.
In other news, the department said that it has launched the revamped Taipei Haoxing app, which integrates real-time information for YouBike, city bus, intercity bus, MRT, Taiwan Railway Corp and high-speed rail services.
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