《TAIPEI TIMES》 Eight monthly transit passes to launch in July

/ Staff writer, with CNA

Eight public transportation pass schemes are to be launched on July 1 after a Directorate-General of Highways （DGH） review panel approved the proposals on Friday, the agency said.

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The panel held its third meeting to examine the schemes proposed by city and county governments, following meetings on April 17 and Friday last week, the agency said in a statement.

The schemes include a NT$1,200 （US$39.11） monthly pass covering four cities in northern Taiwan — Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan — and a NT$999 one for Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County in the south.

A central region pass covering Taichung and Miaoli, Nantou and Changhua counties is to cost NT$699 per month for Taichung residents and NT$999 for non-Taichung residents.

In addition to the regional passes, several counties and cities are also offering local monthly passes.

Changhua and Nantou counties are to each have a county-only pass for NT$699 per month, while Taichung would have a separate local pass, costing NT$299 for residents and NT$599 for nonresidents.

Tainan and Pingtung County are to have a NT$299 pass, which would not cover Taiwan Railways Administration （TRA） services, while a NT$399 version would include TRA trains, the agency said.

On April 27, Kaohsiung introduced a NT$399 pass for unlimited travel by bus, MRT, light rail and ferry, as well as YouBikes.

The schemes are part of a government program to encourage the use of public transportation.

That program is part of the government’s NT$380 billion post-COVID-19-pandemic recovery package approved by legislators on March 24.

The monthly travel passes, unveiled by the agency last month, have been branded as TPass.

The DGH said that the fares are set at over 30 percent of the monthly average commuting expenses, but if local governments adjust them to below that level, the local governments would have to shoulder the costs of the program.

Other local governments can submit public transportation pass schemes to encourage people to use public transit at lower costs, it said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES