Is it really necessary to ride a motorcycle in Taipei? I’ve driven in the States before, but I’m wary about motorcycling here due to the high number of accidents I’ve heard about.
However, I’ve noticed many people, including those my age and younger, riding motorcycles regularly.
So, is it absolutely necessary to ride a motorcycle in Taipei, or is it just an added bonus?
Also, where do people typically park their motorcycles if they rent an apartment? Lastly, what do you think is the monthly cost of owning one, including buying versus renting, plus gas and insurance if needed?
No, but there are locations that take longer time and effort to reach public transport. So choose home location carefully
A scooter can be an added bonus for exploring, but required riding regularly can be a pain. Parking can be inside building, street, scooter parking lots, etc.
It’s incredibly dangerous to ride during rush hour traffic. I wouldn’t suggest anyone ride here unless they really want to and get good practice or already rode on in your country. Owning a motorcycle (scooter) is cheap… I spend only 100 a week on gas and I commute to work. Oil change every…3-4 months costs me 500. From 2016-2024 I only had 1 repair in 2024 for the rear shocks, to replace cost me…1200? Also had to replace the tires once, I forgot the price but it was under 2k I think. My apartment comes with a motorcycle space.
But seriously speaking, it depends on what you want to do or where you want to go: Within Taipei, you can take busses / MRT / taxis. But once you leave Taipei, a car or motorcycle starts becoming much more convenient than public transport.
Necessary? No (echoing @ afterspivak’s pithy observation)
I’ve lived in Taipei for 25+ years and owned and driven a scooter all that time. At first I drove everywhere, just about. But over the years it became harder and harder to park anywhere as they slowly eliminated scooter parking (you could park on sidewalks in those days) and started charging for parking on the main streets like near MRTs. I got into a couple three accidents and I’m a careful driver (not my fault but doing dumb things like making left turns even when legal and a taxi plowed into the back of my scooter, luckily I walked away from them) and a couple of serious near misses. It is the reason that probably 99% of foreigners name driving as their number one complaint about Taiwan.
Taipei has an excellent public transportation system and you can reach most places easily. Bus apps tell you when the bus you want will arrive at your stop. You get discounts on the MRT and buses when you take one or the other first (a bus ride costs a US quarter after your MRT ride).
Since that taxi accident I keep my scooter parked at my university and usually only drive it to Costco because I need it to haul heavy stuff. There is parking near my apartment (no B1 parking in our building) but is increasingly very hard to find a convenient spot near my place, especially in the evening when everyone is home from work.
Having said the above, his/her cost breakdown is accurate too so it is relative inexpensive. The last scooter I bought I paid NT$888 a month for a year for a Yamaha 125 cc (you do the math). Remember you need insurance which is cheap also but after my last accident I upgraded to better coverage.
Finally, if you decide to get one take driving lessons and practice on the practice tracks. And never drink and drive. Check out other threads about traffic here.
with the new Tpass monthly pass is just stupid to drive around unless you really must (i.e. family with kids and/or living in very inconvenient places far from MRT/Bus/ubike).
I drive (car), but I do that as little as possible (99% of my driving is home-office where we have parking spaces in both locations, so don’t need to worry) and only to where I know I can park easily (or when it pisses down).
Sometimes I borrow my sister-in-law’s gogoro to go run quick errands, and yeah it is convenient, but you must understand the system (which is no system, hence the issue).
So, tbh, just take public transit, now it is cheaper, safer and convenient.
For me, the Youbike system has changed it in favor of no more scootering. Did it for 15 years or so, dealing with sun and rain, exhaust fumes, and, worst of all, dumbshit people in cars, trucks, buses, and on scooters.
MRT, buses, and Youbikes get you anywhere in central Taipei. However, if you frequently need to go beyond the inner city limits or need a vehicle to transport goods, like bags of groceries, etc., there might be a good reason why you want to own a scooter.
As to the dangers, I had a few close calls, but never had an accident. Key is to ride with the flow, be aware of the possible dangers around you, and don’t speed.
Way too expensive. Parking, gas, and insurance adds up to a huge cost. I looked into it but it’s crazy just how expensive it gets. Even not factoring in the cost of buying the car itself it’s a huge financial drain here
No it’s not. Statistically it’s very safe. I’ve been driving here for 30 years, zero accidents. In Thailand; well OK I’ve been stitched up a few times.
