Taichung Councilor Urges City to Help University Freshmen Link Public Transport Cards

Taichung City Councilor Zhang Jia'an is pushing for the city government to proactively link public transport cards for university freshmen, mirroring the system already in place for high school students. The goal is to foster a lasting habit of using public transportation among young adults.

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Many university students have already obtained their motorcycle licenses at this point, and asking them to go to the counter to link their cards might not be something they are willing to do.

Currently, high school students in Taichung can have their public transport benefits linked directly to their student IDs. However, upon graduating and entering university, students must manually link their new student IDs to the system. This process, coupled with many new university students obtaining motorcycle licenses, often leads them to opt for private vehicles instead of public transport.

"Many university students have already obtained their motorcycle licenses at this point, and asking them to go to the counter to link their cards might not be something they are willing to do," Zhang stated. She observed a trend where students from outside Taichung come to study in the city, with "one student bringing one motorcycle." To counter this, Zhang proposed that the city government actively collaborate with all universities to complete the public transport discount linking process for student IDs before freshmen receive them each academic year.

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one student bringing one motorcycle

Transportation Bureau Director Ye Zhaofu expressed strong support for the suggestion. He noted that discussions with universities had already taken place, aiming to consolidate student data for linking to the transport card system. The bureau is also promoting the use of a "Taichung Go" app and electronic payment providers' apps, allowing students to access the city's public transport discounts via a dedicated QR code. While initial plans involved universities compiling student data, the bureau is now working with Chaoyang University of Technology on a pilot program to refine the system and its integration.

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