TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung’s subsidy program for home food waste machines opened Friday and drew more than 1,000 applications within two hours, prompting the city to roll out traffic controls to keep the system running.

The city government said applications opened at 10 a.m. on the TC PASS app and heavy traffic briefly slowed access. The city’s Digital Affairs Bureau expanded system capacity and introduced diversion measures, and service returned to normal before noon.

The city’s Economic Development Bureau said peak concurrent users exceeded 5,000 during the opening window, causing intermittent slow loading. It added that network resources were reallocated and security protections were strengthened.

Economic Development Bureau Director-General Chang Feng-yuan (張峯源) said Taichung set aside NT$50 million (US$1.6 million) as food waste handling shifts from pig feed to energy and fertilizer use. Chang said the subsidy will cover up to 10,000 households, with reimbursements of up to NT$5,000 per unit.

CNA reported Friday that Democratic Progressive Party Taichung City Councilor Huang Shou-da (黃守達) said limited funding and a rushed rollout led to a scramble for the 10,000 subsidies. Huang urged the city to expand the budget and support measures to address food waste.

Democratic Progressive Party Taichung City Councilor Chen Ya-hui (陳雅惠) said unclear promotion failed to specify eligible models, leading some residents to believe all food waste grinders qualified. She said some people bought machines only to learn they were ineligible, fueling frustration.