Transportation
Unlike conventional taxis, “multi-service taxis” must be pre-booked through an app or dispatch system. They cannot accept street hails or wait in taxi ranks and typically use platform-based pricing rather than a meter. Under current rules, such taxis are generally not allowed to pick up passengers directly at airports.
City officials said the road upgrades will make it easier and safer for both residents and tourists to reach the lake’s cycling paths and lakeside walking trails, further strengthening the area’s role as a recreation and eco-tourism destination.
Man was reported on by a driver behind him for “sudden deceleration,” a violation under Taiwan’s road traffic regulations.
Kaohsiung’s Red Line already includes two stations widely praised for their design — Formosa Boulevard Station, famous for its Dome of Light installation, and Central Park Station, known for its distinctive modern architecture. Some civic leaders argue that the Yellow Line should strive for a similar international standard in station design and public art.
The Light Rail is currently operating at roughly 60% of its total designed capacity. This, however, is mostly due to it not having enough trains. Fleet expansions scheduled over the next two to three years are expected to provide significant growth in ridership numbers.
According to project details circulated online, the redevelopment will eliminate the existing roundabout and replace it with a U-shaped two-way road system. The new design will also introduce four signalized intersections in the station-front area. Public transportation routes will also be reorganized. Up to 32 bus routes are expected to be adjusted, with stops relocated to nearby streets, including Chenggong Road and Zhongshan Road.
City planners say the station forecourt will ultimately become a large pedestrian plaza combined with a modern transfer center linking trains, buses, taxis, bicycles, and other forms of shared transportation.
The area, heavily damaged in past typhoons, underwent reconstruction emphasizing slope safety, ecological balance, and cultural interpretation. Officials described the redesign as a “forest road built with time,” incorporating access control measures to limit traffic and allow ecosystems to recover.
According to the Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau’s Construction Office, Jiuru 4th Road between Huaan Street and Cuihua Road, along with Hexi 1st Road between Housheng Road and Maka Road, will be closed from March 2 through June 30. Drivers are advised to prepare alternative routes in advance to minimize disruption.
Transit data reflected the spike in activity. Kaohsiung MRT ridership exceeded 1.39 million passengers over five peak holiday days, with a single-day record of more than 325,000 trips on the third day of the Lunar New Year, both setting new seasonal highs.
The selected route largely follows the former surface rail corridor that was placed underground during Kaohsiung’s decade-long railway undergrounding program.