The Highway Bureau yesterday said that cash rebates for TPass users would be delayed, as funding for the program has yet to be approved by the legislature.
The TPass program is a major government initiative to raise public transport usage. TPass 1.0 offers a fixed-priced monthly pass in different regions of the country, while TPass 2.0 expands the coverage with broader cross-city integration and broader regional access.
The highway authority said on its Web site that the TPass 2.0 frequent rider program includes incentives such as TPass ride rewards for people aged 70 or older who voluntarily give back their driver’s licenses.
Photo: Ge You-hao, Taipei Times
The cashback for last month’s TPass usage was originally scheduled to be available for collection starting yesterday.
“However, as the annual budget is still under review, the payout for cash rebates, originally set for today [Wednesday], would have to be postponed,” the bureau said.
The bureau also said in a written statement that approximately 72,000 people qualified to receive the TPass 2.0 frequent rider cashback for last month, with the total subsidy amount reaching about NT$7.72 million (US$246,326).
All ride records would be retained, and the rights and interests of both passengers and bus operators would not be affected, it added.
The TPass commuter pass program serves about 698,000 passenger trips per month, while the TPass 2.0 frequent rider program serves about 379,000 passenger trips per month, bureau statistics showed.
The program was previously funded under the post-COVID-19 pandemic economic stimulus budget.
This year, it has been formally proposed as a regular budget item, with NT$7.52 billion allocated for it.
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