Taipei City embraces public vehicle-hiring solutions
2021/05/14
The popularity of public vehicle-hiring services is surging ahead in Taipei as the city government ramps up efforts aimed at encouraging locals to abandon private vehicles for cleaner and greener modes of transportation.
Wang Wei-kuo, a long-time resident of the northern Taiwan metropolis, is among the growing legion of converts to the cause. He was once one of thousands of drivers battling road congestion day in and day out on the way to work.
But this all changed the day Wang discovered a newly opened bike-sharing station near his home and decided to try cycling to the nearest Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. metro station. Using public transport saves a lot of time, hassle and money, he said, adding that it is also a convenient way to exercise.
Wang’s approach reflects the trend for using solutions such as bikes, cars and scooters on the grounds of accessibility, convenience and cost-saving potential. In particular, two-wheel travel has experienced an uptick in densely populated districts where driving and parking spaces for larger vehicles are at a premium.
Since its Taipei launch in 2009, the YouBike system has seen continued expansion, reaching more than 13,600 units at 503 stations. YouBikes, supplied by Taichung City-based Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in central Taiwan, are the most widely used public-hire vehicles with over 13 million registered users countrywide.
Tiger Chen, commissioner of Taipei City Government’s Department of Transportation, said the goal is to have comprehensive green transportation infrastructure in place to reduce private vehicle ownership and mitigate the effects of climate change. Public vehicle-hiring systems are a central plank in this policy platform, he added.
As the number of rental stations and dedicated cycling paths increased in Taipei, so too did YouBike ridership—up from 26.25 million in 2018 to 28.46 million in 2019. The rise in ride count reflects annual growth of 8.4 percent according to the DOT.
In addition, YouBike 2.0 is being rolled out with upgraded models featuring onboard smart control panels allowing users to complete rental procedures with an EasyCard or by scanning a QR code via a smartphone. The new system is also eco-friendly, powered by solar energy panels on the bikes rather than by below-ground cables connected to the stands.
Car and scooter sharing programs followed the establishment of YouBike in 2019. By the end of the following year, 1,000 cars were available from Taipei-headquartered iRent, alongside nearly 13,000 scooters from GoShare—the mobility-sharing platform of leading electric scooter-maker Gogoro Inc., based in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City, iRent and WeMo—a startup that cooperates with motorcycle manufacturer Kwang Yang Motor Co. based in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.
According to Chen, the numbers tell the story about the success of the initiative. Average monthly usage increased fourfold and threefold, respectively, one year after launch, and contributed to decreases in new car and motorcycle registrations last year in Taipei, he said.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
