Hsinchu candidate proposes shuttle buses after students struggle to board public transport

Many students in Hsinchu have reportedly been unable to board buses during the first week of the school term. Chuang Ching-cheng, a Democratic Progressive Party candidate for mayor, said parents had contacted him about the problem and accused the city government of failing to address it during Mayor Ann Kao’s four-year term.

Chuang said he had proposed school shuttle buses when he began his campaign in June. His plan would add services during heavy boarding periods, spread passenger demand and use city funds to subsidize school commuter buses. He said the measure would ease traffic near schools and give children a safer way to travel independently to and from school.

Under his proposal, short-route, high-frequency buses would connect schools around Xuefu Road with important transport points, including the rear exit of Hsinchu railway station. He also said he would review school shuttle services across the city and add circulating school buses in each district.

Chuang criticized what he described as the city government’s pride in debt repayment, saying public funds should solve residents’ problems. He framed school travel safety and pedestrian rights as the starting point for making Hsinchu a more people-centered transport city.

The Hsinchu City Government said it would continue helping bus operators recruit drivers and monitor capacity during peak periods. It also said it had asked companies to assess flexible timetable changes and would analyze ticketing data to review routes and schedules, with the aim of increasing capacity at major public transport hotspots.