TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After being in operation for four years, Kaohsiung YouBike 2.0 exceeded 50 million riders at 7 a.m. on Sunday (July 14).
To celebrate the event, the lucky rider was identified as a local man in his 40s who got on a YouBike at Pinghe Road Public Parking Lot. He received a NT$10,000 (US$307) gift certificate from a local department store and a Kaohsiung YouBike commemorative card.
The winner said he previously used his own bicycle to get around. But after discovering a YouBike station near his home, he found it more convenient to ride a YouBike, per LTN.
In related news, the Kaohsiung City Government Transportation Bureau added third-party liability insurance for those riding a YouBike starting on July 1. This insurance protects riders from damaging property or injuring other people when riding a YouBike and is in addition to the personal injury insurance that existed earlier.
To qualify for the new third-party liability insurance as well as personal injury insurance, YouBike users are asked to visit the YouBike website or app and simply check the box agreeing to insurance coverage.
The Transportation Bureau said the current insurance rate in Kaohsiung is approximately 80% of users. It called on those who have not signed to register.
Currently, Kaohsiung has 1,351 YouBike stations and averages more than 1.5 million riders per month. The top three stations in terms of user volume are the Taiwan High Speed Rail Zuoying Station, Kaohsiung Metro Hamasen Station (Exit 1), and Kaohsiung Metro Houyi Station (Exit 2).
Kaohsiung’s YouBike system is now an important means of daily commuting, travel, and sightseeing. The Transportation Bureau plans to expand to 1,500 YouBike rental stations by 2026, helping the public meet their “last-mile” travel needs.
The Transportation Bureau said the introduction of different commuter passes, such as Kaohsiung’s NT$399 monthly commuter pass, the central government’s TPASS, and a similar TPASS for southern counties, has led YouBike ridership in the first half of the year to increase 22% when compared with the same period last year.
Around 430,000 YouBike riders in Kaohsiung use monthly commuter passes, representing 30% of ridership, indicating that YouBike has become an integral part of commuting for many people.
