I am sorry, no. During my time living here, I have seen the Tainan bus system (such as it was/is) collapse and disappear! I have suffered the idiotic and unapologetically sh*itty “service” on Hsinchu City buses. In vast swaths of the country, you are simply on your own. The patchy and unreliable nature of many bus companies has been identified as an impediment to an otherwise booming tourism industry. There is still room for improvement.
Guy
But can’t someone basically go stand at a bus stop anywhere in Taiwan say Taipei and then end up comfortably safely in Kenting or Hualien or wherever without even getting on long-distance bus. As long as they can read a few signs or use Google Maps not really a problem.
I think I could walk out the door of my house with nothing but a cell phone and a yo-yo card with enough money and go anywhere in Taiwan.
I’ve been shocked when I drive my own car way up in the mountains somewhere or some down some remote road trying to find some exotic out-of-the-way location and then all the sudden I see a bus stop.
The Taipei Joint Bus System (Chinese: 台北聯營公車) is a bus system that serves the greater metropolitan area of Taipei, Taiwan. It is administered by the Taipei Joint Bus Service Management Center, the Taipei City Traffic Bureau, and the New Taipei City Traffic Bureau (formerly Taipei County Traffic Bureau), and is operated by 15 private agencies. It includes the bus systems of Taipei City and New Taipei City, and has a coordinated numbering and fare system.
The 15 agencies are:
Metropolitan Transit Company (Chinese: 大都會客運) (Originally Taipei City Bus Administration, part of the city government, later privatized.)
Shin-Shin Bus (Chinese: 欣欣客運)
CitiAir Bus (Chinese: 大有巴士)
Da-Nan Bus (Chinese: 大南汽車)
Kuang-Hua Bus (Chinese: 光華巴士)
Chung-Shing Bus (Chinese: 中興巴士)
Chih-Nan Bus (Chinese: 指南客運)
Taipei Bus (Chinese: 台北客運)
San-Chung Bus (Chinese: 三重客運)
Capital Bus (Chinese: 首都客運)
Hsintien Bus (Chinese: 新店客運)
Hsin-Ho Bus (Chinese: 欣和客運)
Tamshui Bus (Chinese: 淡水客運)
Southeast Bus (Chinese: 東南客運)
Keelung Bus (Chinese: 基隆客運)
Fu He Bus (Chinese: 福和客運) was previously part of the system, but left in 2009.
Each operator retains control of its own structure, assets, revenue vehicles, and legal liabilities.
Are you guys seriously complaining about these things for a 15NT (max 30NT) fare?
Are you serious???
I’m only complaining about the decision making process that comes out with stupid decisions. It could be free for all I care but I’m still finding stupid decisions being made.
Wait until you are 65. It will be free bus and half MRT fare -if you live in New Taipei, Taipei City is free all.
That gets to the core of what’s wrong with the Taiwanese economy and why it hasn’t been able to grow for the past twenty years: “it’s cheap, so who cares about making it better?”
Cheap only goes so far. Sadly, Taiwanese buses are a great metaphor for the whole economy here.
The whole history of invention, innovation, and economic progress since the early 1700s is literally a story of making cheap things better, even though they’re already good enough.
Dunno. they do not look pretty but they do the job pretty well. The routes are well planned, the service safe, conevenient, available, accessible and frequent. Information is reliable and available in many ways, from paper schedules to electronic boards both on the bus and at the bus stops.
I do have a very low comparison bar -the chicken buses in a 3.5 world country- but still, like last night, I went shopping with my doggie in a purse. Got on the bus pulling a shopping cart with a 20 kilo bag of cat food and above mentioned canine. No problem. Got from A to B quickly and safely.
I haven’t been alive or living here for ROC 107 years, but I can assure you, buses have made pretty huge improvements throughout the time I have spent here.
Since everyone loves using lists here’s mine:
I get that it can be made better, but the way you’re going about it is like it’s been like this for a long time and it hasn’t.
I wouldn’t go as far as comparing Taiwan buses to all buses in the US. You forget that there’s NJ/NY transit buses thrown in that mix and…there’s really no comparison.
When I came here we were still riding non-aircon 
Big difference between Taipei city buses and non Taipei city . Always need to make this caveat in Taiwan.
That being said there have been major improvements overall
Electronic signage at a lot of stops
English Chinese signage inside the buses with announcements
Google GPS integration (thanks to Google )
Air con does work all the time now
Dedicated bus lanes in Taipei city
New 1280 deal is sweet
A lot of buses (very important so not waiting around long!)
Swiping on off at back door
Remaining issues
Poor to asshole level drivers
Vehicles parking at bus stops
Many bus stops outside Taipei city still don’t have electronic signage or proper cover
Not enough green buses …Electric , natural gas
Many buses are old so the gears are messed up and the make a lot of noise and jerk around a lot
Bus fares are laughably cheap, in Taichung often free!
Mainly they need to have a newer greener bus fleet.
Some investment required.
Generally Taipei city seems to have newer buses.
Then new Taipei city significantly older.
Then places like hsinchu and miaoli are using 20 or 30 or 40 year old buses.
Compared to the European capital I come from buses here are 3x cheaper, 3x more abundant , many more bus lanes so much faster and also safer (less hooligans and junkies And drunk people )
Better swipe card tech too. No contest.
Overall I think the greater Taipei bus system is really very good it just needs to clean up it’s act by having cleaner smoother driving buses.
I would definitely pay more for greener newer smoother buses and bus drivers. Majority may not want to though.
The bus drivers do keep a look out for non swipers. If they think you don’t swipe they will shout at you.
They and places like Miaoli city are amongst the worst examples in Taiwan. Agreed. The locals in those places drive scooters and cars everywhere hence the traffic is a mess too and of course they don’t have subways either.
Here are the improvements I’ve noticed about the intercity bus system in Taoyuan (downtown Taoyuan 桃園區) since I arrived ten years ago:
Granted, most of these changes have happened since Taoyuan county became a city, so I assume that means more transportation money is available.
Still have some crappy lurch-and-stop drivers, and I don’t know the situation in more rural areas of Taoyuan, but I do like the improvements I see here so far.
This is nice to hear, as Taoyuan is statistically the most international municipality in Taiwan. Take that, Taipei! : )
Guy
Says the guy living in Taipei? Who’s side are you on! 
I am on the side of Taipeiers for a more balanced and liveable Taiwan! : )
Guy
buses still drive like f1 races on the freeway. I was going about 100 on a stretch from taipei to yilan and these 2 tour buses came zooming past me.
Pulled a muscle in my back the other day.
I’ve been riding the bus last couple days. I swear the bus drivers intent is to make anyone with body pain feel worse.
Gas, brake, gas brake.
It’s an automatic you only need two options going and stopping not go go go go stop. Go go go go stop stop stop
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