TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Transportation and Communications will complete legislation by February to allow double-decker buses on highways and expressways, aiming to ease driver shortages and overcrowding on intercity bus routes during peak periods.
As of October, Taiwan’s highway bus services were short 671 drivers, while city bus services lacked 1,344, the ministry said. Limited trips on short-distance intercity routes have led to long queues during peak periods, per CNA.
The ministry noted that double-decker buses on highways will be capped at 4 meters in height and must have a closed roof. Aisle widths will also be increased from 32 cm to 45 cm to ensure safety.
Hu Ti-chi (胡廸琦), director of the ministry’s department of public transportation and supervision, said the buses are used mainly for sightseeing in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. The open-top buses are limited to 4.4 meters in height, 12 meters in length, and can carry 44 to 57 passengers.
Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said the ministry will introduce new training and licensing programs for these buses on highways. The ministry will also ban the buses from certain sections with strong winds. He added that domestic manufacturers can produce the vehicles and that the ministry will provide purchase subsidies to operators.
Hu said the New Taipei and Taoyuan City Governments hope the initiative will speed up implementation. The ministry has asked local governments and the Highway Bureau to assess industry demand and propose routes for early adoption.
Highway bus ridership in Taiwan exceeded 81.38 million passengers in 2019, the ministry said. It fell to 43 million between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19, but rebounded to 52.09 million in 2023. Some operators reduced services in response to lower demand, causing overcrowding during peak periods.
Kuo-Kuang Motor Transportation Co. said it has posted losses since the pandemic and called on the ministry for subsidies. The company noted that buses remain the main public transport option in rural areas and in locations not served by Taiwan Railways or Taiwan High Speed Rail.
