TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) and city councilors from Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Keelung warned Wednesday that a legislative stalemate over the Cabinet’s 2026 budget could disrupt the TPASS public transit program, urging opposition lawmakers to pass the budget.
Wang pointed out that TPASS is essentially a subsidy program that covers the gap between discounted TPASS fares and regular ticket prices, with the central government paying the difference, per Tai Sounds. With the 2026 budget stalled in the legislature, he said the government is unable to allocate the funds needed to sustain the program.
Wang warned that transport operators could opt out of TPASS if funding uncertainty persists, potentially undermining the program in the long term. DPP Taipei City Councilor Yen Jo-fang (顏若芳) questioned Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) proposal that the city raise NT$1.4 billion (US$44.5 million) to keep TPASS operating.
Yen said it is unclear whether Taipei can secure such funding from its own budget and added that Keelung and Taoyuan may face even greater difficulty in covering similar costs.
Highway Bureau Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said Tuesday that funding for TPASS has already expired and that continued operation depends on budget allocations still awaiting legislative review, per CNA. He said the program is currently being sustained by local government funding, but it remains uncertain whether that support can continue beyond January.
Lin said the central government has no contingency plan if funding runs out and warned that Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan would be the most affected areas.
Taitung County Government said it sells about 1,500 to 1,600 TPASS monthly passes each month and covers about 12% of the program’s total cost, per CNA. County official Liu Chi-peng (劉奇朋) said the county will attempt to fund TPASS in the short term but has no plans to continue the program long term without central government support.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) urged lawmakers to pass the 2026 budget to minimize disruption to the public, per Liberty Times. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) warned that if the city is forced to borrow money to fund TPASS, interest payments could crowd out other municipal projects.
Chiang called on the Cabinet to communicate with lawmakers over the budget impasse, saying Taipei will strive to keep TPASS-related services running, per TVBS. New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) echoed that view, saying the city has prepared for potential disruptions, per Tai Sounds.
Hou said New Taipei will meet with Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan to discuss possible solutions to the funding shortfall.
DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) criticized Chiang’s response, saying the fastest way to resolve the issue is for KMT lawmakers to allow the budget review process to proceed, per Liberty Times. She said proposals to convene conferences to discuss short-term funding contingencies for the TPASS program amount to political theater.
