Recently, there’s been renewed discussion about how even long-time APRC holders can’t get discount HSR tickets. Not for having disabilities, not for being senior citizens.
I did some research, and found that in 2017 the MOTC provided the reason. They said that the Control Yuan concluded that because:
Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries did not provide preferential fares for Taiwanese to take their public transportation
preferential fares for foreign residents were cancelled.
This doesn’t match my experience. In many places, anyone who lives there can get the discount ticket regardless of nationality.
So, let’s prove that Taiwanese can get Seniors or Disability discounts.
Add information for your country/city/state here:
Then we can have a clear response to the past arguments about ‘reciprocity’.
Maybe should include Taichung bus too. Taichung bus is free for all Taichung residents (Taichung household registration) the first 10km. and after that will cost maximum of 10NT. However, if you are a foreigner even though you live in Taichung you have to pay for the bus every time and no discount. Only exception is if you are an student here (likely a loophole as it’s mostly meant for Taiwanese students from other cities studying in Taichung and they just forgot about international students) or you are married to a Republic of China National who has Taichung Household Registration.
Is that true? I live in Taichung, and honestly I’ve only used the bus twice (on the same day) in the 4 years I’ve been here - I’m sure I never paid (but maybe I did!). Certainly, my daughter did not pay as a student
I wonder if a lot of this is due to the fact that long-term Taiwanese who live in these countries tend to get nationality so get the discount automatically that way meaning offering it to Taiwanese ID’d people generally means non-long term residents?
I added a link for the senior railcard in the UK. You have to pay for it, but it’s the same price whether you’re British, a resident, or just a visitor, and it provides discounts on rail travel all through the UK.
2.4.3. “Residence” as indirect discrimination on grounds of nationality
Article 18 (1) only prohibits discrimination on grounds of nationality; whereas – as already
explained above – the main (if not only) problem is discrimination on grounds of residence.
Nowhere in primary law is “residence” independently mentioned as a prohibited criterion of discrimination. “Residence” can only be covered by Article 18 if discrimination on grounds of residence
amounts to (indirect) discrimination on grounds of nationality
Thus, in all EU member states, this kind of price differentiation should only occur based on residence. Not based on nationality.