By KHT Staff. AI-regenerated image via reference pictures.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung City Shipping Co. (高雄輪船公司) posted a net loss of more than NT$62 million last year, despite long holiday lines on popular ferry routes to Cijin (旗津), reports said.
The city-owned company operates the Gushan-Cijin (鼓山－旗津), Cianjhen-Jhongjhou (前鎮－中洲) and Cijin-KW2 (旗津－棧貳庫) ferry routes, along with sea bus services and three harbor tour vessels. It also manages three cultural yachts on behalf of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (文化局), while the Love River boat service is outsourced to a private operator.
According to the city government’s final accounts, ferry passenger revenue totaled just over NT$99 million last year, more than NT$21 million below the budgeted, roughly NT$120 million.
Passenger trips totaled about 2.87 million, compared with an expected 4.73 million, the report said.
The company said weaker domestic travel spending, outbound travel demand, and lower-than-expected ridership all contributed to the shortfall. It also said ferry fares returned to the standard electronic-ticket price of NT$30 in 2025.
The report also said Cijin Card holders took 3.46 million free rides on the heavily used Cijin-Gushan and Cianjhen routes last year, highlighting the gap between visible passenger demand and fare revenue.
The company recorded an operating loss of more than NT$44 million, plus non-operating losses of almost NT$18 million, bringing its net loss to more than NT$62.18 million. It was the company’s largest annual loss since pandemic restrictions were lifted in 2021.
Accumulated losses now stand at more than NT$1.2 billion, reports said.
