A fleet of red “hop-on, hop-off” double-decker buses, the first of its kind in Taipei City, officially hit the roads of the capital Jan. 18, offering the public an alternative way to explore the city.
Speaking at the launch ceremony for the double-decker buses, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said that the service was the first step in the city government’s “Tourism ABC” promotional plan designed to boost the city’s tourism industry.
With a convertible top, the second deck is only partially covered on clear days, allowing passengers to take in the city’s sights and sounds from a different perspective, Ko said. “As an international city, Taipei could not do without a double-decker sightseeing bus service,” he said.
The buses are equipped with free smartphone chargers and Wi-Fi, as well as audio tour guide services available through an app in languages including Mandarin, English, Japanese and Korean, the Taipei City Government said.
The sightseeing bus service offers two lines: red and blue. Both lines depart from Taipei Main Station and pass the North Gate, Ximen and East Gate, before the blue line heads for the National Palace Museum. The red line’s final destination is Taipei 101 in Xinyi District.
Blue line buses have nine stops and pass famous Taipei landmarks such as Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Flora Expo Park. Meanwhile, the red line has a total of 14 stops and passes by Daan Forest Park, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and 1914 Huashan Creative Park.
Both bus lines dispatch buses every 40 minutes, with the red line running from 9:10 a.m. until 10 p.m. and the blue line from 9 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.
According to the city government, the double-deckers each boast 47 seats on the upper deck and nine seats on the lower deck as well as a wheelchair space. Each tour takes around one to two hours depending on traffic, during which passengers may step off or back on the bus at any of its designated stops.
A ticket valid for four hours costs NT$300 (US$9.50) and a variety of payment methods are accepted, including cash, credit cards and EasyCards, which facilitate payment on the Taipei Metro and other public transportation services as well as at many businesses. (KWS-E)
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