By RK Shih/Staff. AI illustration image.
KAOHSIUNG — Drivers have complained of long waits and severe congestion at Kaohsiung’s newly opened Costco (好市多), with some saying it took nearly an hour to leave the rooftop parking area, the Liberty Times reports.
The new warehouse store opened on July 3 and has been promoted as Costco’s largest location in Taiwan, with more car and scooter parking spaces than any of its other stores in the country.
Despite the large parking capacity, customers said vehicle flow inside the complex has become heavily congested, particularly when cars leaving the upper levels merge between the fourth and third floors.
The nearby light rail crossing adds another complication. Drivers said trips that would normally take about 10 minutes have taken more than 30 minutes during peak periods when vehicle queues coincide with passing light rail trains and traffic signals.
Some drivers reported waiting between 40 minutes and an hour to exit from the rooftop parking lot. Online posts have advised customers to avoid parking on the top level during the store’s busy opening period.
Congestion has also developed around the ground-floor exits near Chenggong Road (成功路) and Fusing Road (復興路), where traffic from different lanes converges.
One customer said that although the store has many parking spaces, most departing vehicles are funneled toward a single route before reaching street level.
Costco said it has increased the number of traffic-control workers around nearby intersections, with about 20 deployed on weekdays and up to 40 on weekends.
The company said it would strengthen on-site traffic guidance and continue reviewing vehicle circulation and parking management.
