Browsing: Kaohsiung transportation

Kaohsiung is reviewing plans to extend its MRT network farther east, with future routes aimed at improving connections to Jiuqutang Station (九曲堂站), Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (佛光山佛陀紀念館), Dashu (大樹), and Cishan (旗山).

An environmental group has criticized the project, saying the sites were originally tree pits and that trees would provide better cooling than umbrellas. The group said the shades block sunlight but do not lower urban temperatures.

The “Friendly Relay Program” will commence on July 1. YouBike members will automatically receive a NT$5 riding coupon when they borrow a bike from a full station, helping free up a dock, or return a bike to an empty station, helping make a bike available for the next rider.

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.

The report also found that most violations occurred during off-peak hours, which accounted for 75 percent to more than 85 percent of cases. The bureau said lighter traffic may cause some drivers to lower their guard or take more risks. Among peak periods, violations were more common from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. than during the morning rush hour, with the afternoon peak about 5 percent to 10 percent higher. The bureau said the difference could be linked to drivers rushing after work or school.

The proposed stop is part of the city’s plan to extend railway grade-separation work toward Ciaotou (橋頭) and Daliao (大寮). The broader project is expected to cost more than NT$100 billion and includes two proposed commuter stations: TSMC Station and Ciaotou Qingpu Station (橋頭青埔站).

The United Daily News reported that Taichung’s Blue Line has not yet begun main civil construction, but its original budget of NT$161.5 billion is no longer sufficient. The Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau estimates that the project may require nearly NT$100 billion more to complete the 11 underground stations.

Kaohsiung has many low-floor buses, but a spokesperson for an advocacy group says the bus stops themselves often do not match the needs of passengers. City Councilor Chiu Chun-hsien (邱俊憲) said that hospital bus stops may technically meet accessibility rules, but officials should also consider how passengers actually use them.

The project aimed to facilitate transfers between HSR and the Kaohsiung Metro. Passengers currently have to travel from the HSR platform level to the second-floor concourse, exit the station, then use escalators to reach the MRT station underground. The transfer can take nearly 10 minutes.

The bridge began as a temporary railway bridge built in 2009 during Kaohsiung’s railway undergrounding project. After trains were moved underground in 2018, the tracks and overhead wires were removed, and the structure was converted into a riverside landscape bridge in 2021. Its planned removal now shows how the THSR extension is not just a regional transportation project, but a major urban construction challenge for Kaohsiung.