By Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung City (高雄市) officials say the popular TPASS monthly transit pass could face funding pressure within one month if Taiwan’s central government budget remains stalled in the Legislature, raising concerns for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.
According to the Kaohsiung Transportation Bureau, TPASS has logged more than 110 million trips since its launch in April 2023, with sales exceeding 2.4 million passes by the end of last year. The program has helped boost overall public transport usage in Kaohsiung by 13%, pushed the city’s public transit mode share past 10% for the first time, and cut carbon emissions by more than 50,000 metric tons.
However, officials said continued operation depends heavily on central government subsidies. Last year, the central government provided NT$615 million in TPASS funding for Kaohsiung, with the city contributing an additional NT$300 million. With this year’s national budget still tied up in legislative negotiations, the city said its own funds could only sustain the program for about one month without new allocations.
In northern Taiwan, Taipei City officials are also warning that the popular TPASS monthly transit pass may face funding pressure by the end of January if Taiwan’s central government budget impasse continues, but Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) pledged the city would work to keep services uninterrupted.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋) warned that political gridlock at the national level could directly harm commuters, saying delays threaten not only ridership gains but also the daily routines of tens of thousands of workers and students. He urged lawmakers to pass the budget swiftly and called on the city government to prepare contingency plans.
City officials said they hope the central budget review will be completed soon to ensure the TPASS program continues uninterrupted.
Based on China Times reporting.
