Saw on the news tonight that Taichung buses are free up to 10 kilometres since 2015. Very few people actually use the bus. They are considering upping the distances to 20 kilometers to attract more riders.
Certainly has incentivised me to take the bus when visiting Taichung. I enjoy this. I wish there would be more frequency and a better e-bus system.
97 topics left with 0 replies.
2 Likes
Compared to the states⊠Taichung bus system is like lightyears ahead. To think if the buses in Austin, TX was like Taichung it would have been a much nicer city. (To be fair, the buses in Austin was nicer quality, especially the MetroRapid buses, all of them are kneeling buses, but waiting 30 minutes to catch the slow bus, and God forbid if you actually have to transfer, takes like 3 hours to go anywhere in Austin by bus, if you could get there at all!)
And itâs actually really hard to break the 10k barrier in Taichung. I went from the Taichung train station all the way to 7 star mountain and I paid nothing for bus fares.
Good news!!!
Starting January 16, APRC holders are now eligible for the free bus rides!
https://idoor.taichung.gov.tw/info/newsDetail?id=40ABD817-7010-45C3-8528-4CAD3463C61D
2 Likes
Only 16 
I kill me
2 Likes
LOL I added a comma to make it more clear
Excellent change but it certainly took long enough. And not even covering ARC users.
Does it need to? I completely agree with limiting it to APRC holders.
Also I disagree with allowing those married to Taiwanese getting it⊠Gaining PR after five years of paying taxes is much more of a contribution than simply sticking your sausage in a local girl and spending five minutes registering it with the government so you can have an ARC.
Thatâs why civilised countries use DMY
1 Like
I have a question. Do ARC holders, all ARC holders, on average, take up more physical space than locals? Less space than locals? The same amount of space as locals when driving a car?
Good point mate! Foreigners are often heavier, so maybe theyâre burning more fuel every time they hop on the bus. 
Are they? On average. All ARC holders.
Well, considering the average westernerâs diet of burgers and fries, it wouldnât be surprising if they tip the scales a bit more.
So yeh⊠itâs safe to say ARC holders might be burning more fuel on those buses.
98% of ARC holders are SE Asian factory workers.
I think theyâre generally thinner than Westerners. But itâs irrelevant as these new rules are specifically written to exclude them.
3 Likes
The Average ARC holder is western?
The average western country eat these burgers and fries regularly?
I suspect this effect is close to being insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Aside from the SEA aspect, passengers make up a pretty low proportion of the total weight of a bus.
Back of the envelope calculation: ca. 14 metric tons for a bus vs. 2.8 metric tons for 40 people each weighing 70 kilograms. The odd chubby burger-eating Westerner probably doesnât make much difference to fuel consumption. 
1 Like
But would it be significantly different to the average Taiwanese?
Including all ARC holders. Would the average air displacement of the average ARC holder, when driving a car or scooter differ significantly from the average Taiwanese engaging in the same behaviour?
@comfy123 please answer the question.
Oh, absolutely westerners tend to want bigger engines because theyâre obsessed with speed.
They drive faster, rev harder, and seem to think every road is a racetrack.
Iâve even heard foreigners on Facebook groups claiming that highway 74 in Taichung is the Taiwan autobahn due to lack of police enforcement and reliant on fixed speed cameras.
Iâll admit Iâm guilty of this too.
Thatâs not what I asked. Please stop avoiding the question.
I didnât say engine.
I didnât talk about speed.
I didnât say westerner.
I didnât say people on facebook.
I said ARC holder. All else being equal.
Ok then. Yes ARC holders feel the need for speed and oversized SUVs. Therefore they displace more air and pollute more on average.