According to Central News Agency via Taiwan News, Giant Manufacturing Company will be launching a bike-sharing program in the business district around Taipei 101, the world's tallest occupied building. The Department of Transportation will allow Giant to set up 11 stations with 500 bikes for a planned launch in March.
Taiwan News reports, "Customers will be required to use a credit card or the city's EasyCard to rent a bike. The first 30 minutes of rental will be free, and the rate for additional use will be set at NT$10 [Taiwan New Dollars (US$0.30)] for every 15 minutes.
"The system will allow for bikes to be rented at one location and returned at a different point. If the bike is stolen, the renter will be required to pay NT$1,500 (US$45) in compensation, provided he or she could prove that the theft was reported to police within seven days. Otherwise, the compensation fee will be NT$3,000 [US$89]."
image credit: Kruger
3 comments:
Hello,
Taipei is NOT Really the first bike-sharing city in Taiwan, originally.
The first SHOULD be Kaohsiung, which is the 2nd largest city with a port, airport, industries, and main city in southern Taiwan.
Kaohsiung City government will launch 40 sites with 4500 bikes in May. But 2 sites begins trial from Jan. 19th. The bike provider is MERIDA, and this is a city's programme.
http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=30628
Taipei City push their bike-sharing policy so rush, seems like it just want to get the first, not want to be proper-arranged.
Here is a news report in English:
Kaohsiung automated bike rental system to be activated mid-February
(CNA) The southern port city of Kaohsiung is constructing an unmanned automated bike rental system that is scheduled to begin operating in mid-February.
According to the city's Department of Environmental Protection, the establishment of 20 bike rental stations -- each equipped with around 500 bicycles for public use on a rental basis -- will be completed by the Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 26.
The unmanned rental system will begin Feb. 18 after passing initial trials, Wu Chia-an, an official of the department said Tuesday.
Wu added that the number of automated rental stations will be increased to 50 by mid-May, offering 4,500 bicycles for rent.
The public bike rental system has been constructed on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model at a total cost of NT$90 million (US$2.7 million) to pursue energy savings and carbon emissions reductions.
It is also hoped that the system, which allows renters to return the vehicles at other rental stations at metro stations and popular tourist spots, will help boost tourism, according to the city government.
(By Elizabeth Hsu)
http://www.kcg.gov.tw/english/jsf/NewsIndex.jsf?unid=6c6973d22471e2d69fbc5181d1ce255f3ed6a708
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