Taiwan Today

Public vehicles for hire are a crucial component of developing sustainable urban transportation systems.

Long-time Taipei City resident Wang Wei-kuo (王維國) was once one of thousands of road users who crawled along the metropolis’s well-traveled roads every morning on the way to work, until one day he noticed a newly opened bike-sharing station near his home. “I decided to try cycling to the nearest mass rapid transit [MRT] stop before taking the metro,” he said. “Using public transport spares me the hassle of finding and paying for a parking spot, eliminates the stress of navigating traffic and saves on vehicle fuel and maintenance. Plus, I get a little bit of exercise!”

Wang’s attitude reflects a growing trend among consumers who are rapidly adopting public vehicle-hiring solutions for bikes, cars and scooters due to their accessibility, convenience and potential for cost savings. In particular, travel on two wheels has seen an uptick in cities where space for larger vehicles is at a premium.

Over the years, local governments across Taiwan have striven to promote shared mobility services in collaboration with rental companies. These promotional efforts are paying dividends as more people start to see the benefits of leaving behind their private vehicles.

Capital Leadership

Take Taipei for example. Since its launch in 2009, the YouBike public bicycle-sharing system has seen continued expansion, reaching more than 13,600 bicycles at a total of 503 stations. YouBikes, provided by Taichung City-based Giant Manufacturing Co. in central Taiwan, are the most widely used of the country’s public hire vehicles, with over 13 million registered users nationwide.

“Our ultimate goal is to have comprehensive green transportation infrastructure in place to reduce private vehicle ownership and all the negative effects it entails,” said Tiger Chen (陳學台), commissioner of Taipei City Government’s Department of Transportation (DOT). “Public vehicle-hiring systems are an important component of that ideal.”

Ensuring well-rounded, high-performance public transport requires a balanced approach. “The MRT forms the backbone of Taipei’s transport network, alongside bus routes,” Chen said. “Bicycles and other shared vehicles are ideal to serve as the first- and last-mile connections to these services.”

As the number of rental stations and dedicated cycling paths increased in Taipei, so too did YouBike ridership. The ride count rose from 26.25 million in 2018 to 28.46 million in 2019, reflecting annual growth of 8.4 percent according to the DOT.

Today, YouBikes are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For registered users, renting one is as easy as tapping with an EasyCard, a stored-value payment smartcard that can be used on the metro and other public transport services as well as at many businesses. A mobile app also displays the availability of bikes and parking slots at stations across the country.

In addition, YouBike 2.0 is being rolled out with upgraded models featuring built-in smart control panels, allowing users to proceed with the rental process directly with an EasyCard or by scanning a QR code with their smartphones. The new system is also eco-friendly—powered by solar energy panels on the bikes rather than by underground wires connecting to the stands.

Public bikes aside, car and scooter sharing programs were introduced in Taipei in 2019. By the end of 2020, 1,000 cars were available from Taipei-headquartered iRent, a motor vehicle rental service, alongside nearly 13,000 scooters from GoShare—the mobility-sharing platform of leading electric scooter maker Taoyuan City-headquartered Gogoro Inc., iRent and WeMo—a startup launched in partnership with motorcycle manufacturer Kwang Yang Motor Co. based in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.

Chen said he is glad to see car and scooter rental solutions gaining traction, as figures reveal average monthly usage increased fourfold and threefold, respectively, one year after launch. The change helped contribute to decreases in new car and motorcycle registrations last year in Taipei, he added.

National Trend

YouBike is far from Taiwan’s only bike-hiring platform, nor was it the first. Kaohsiung unveiled its public bike system—CityBike—11 days ahead of Taipei’s in 2009. More than 5,600 bikes at 316 stations have since been supplied by another leading bicycle manufacturer, Merida Industry Co. based in central Taiwan’s Changhua County.

To improve service quality and operational efficiency, all the old devices were replaced by YouBike 2.0 units in July 2019. Currently, 8,000 bikes at 830 stations are available, meaning Kaohsiung boasts the country’s largest bike-sharing network.

“To make Kaohsiung more livable, we’re focusing efforts on promoting low-carbon, shared and smart transport options to improve air quality while offering accessible and convenient mobility services,” said Li Kuo-cheng (李國正), chief of the transportation facility division of Kaohsiung City Government’s Transportation Bureau. “Vehicle-sharing platforms, also characterized by around-the-clock self-service, have seen booming demand.”

Like Chen, Li said his bureau is committed to developing an integrated transport network encompassing the MRT, light rail, public buses, trains and ferries, with public vehicle-hiring solutions helping to fill the gaps and increase convenience for users.

Operation of the bike-sharing system has been successful, Li said. In particular, the usage of YouBike 2.0 has exceeded expectations. Within half a year, over 4.3 million rentals were made with ridership over 39,000 on a busy day.

The city government is working to include more green vehicle-hiring options. Currently, over 2,300 electric scooters are supplied by GoShare, iRent, WeMo and locally-based UrDa Mobility. There are also 1,000 electric bikes (e-bikes), managed and maintained by Kaohsiung-headquartered Gokube Inc.

Kenny Chen (陳維裕), a sales manager with Gokube, said e-bikes are rapidly gaining popularity as they are easy to operate and do not require a driving license. Plus, users can download a mobile app to find the location of available vehicles, unlock and return the bike while completing payments using popular electronic methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay. “E-bikes are faster for getting around than ordinary bikes. They are a fantastic choice for riders who find it difficult to exert themselves for long distances, especially on hot days,” he said.

Unlocked Potential

Li Ding-long (李定隆‬), a manager in iRent’s rental department, said the vehicle sharing market has witnessed considerable growth over the past few years for several reasons. These include being able to pick up and return vehicles at any time, the prevalence of smartphone use and high penetration rates for mobile internet.

“Many users cite convenience and cost savings as key factors behind their decision to register for the first time,” Li said. “In Taiwan, we’re now at a stage where this model is a viable alternative to personal vehicle ownership in many urban areas.”

To tap into demand, iRent has expanded its vehicle-sharing business countrywide, operating a multimodal fleet of 4,000 electric scooters and 3,500 cars including hybrids. The strategy is paying off, illustrated by significant growth in the number of registered users from 350,000 in March 2019 to over 600,000 by year-end.

Likewise, Taipei DOT’s Chen is optimistic about the future development of shared mobility services thanks to concerted efforts by the central and local governments to move toward sustainable transport systems. “With multiple green options working in coordination, we can minimize the negative effects of transportation on the environment and personal health,” he said. “Alongside our service providers, we’re determined to make shared mobility an attractive, everyday choice for residents.” 

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw