Taichung Councilors Demand New Express Bus Routes to Airport for Tun District Residents

Taichung City councilors are urging the city's transportation bureau to establish new express bus services connecting the "Tun District" to Taichung International Airport. The call comes as the airport sees an increase in flight routes, making it a more convenient travel hub for residents.

Currently, the primary public transport option to the airport is the 555 route, which operates mainly within the city center and connects to the MRT system. Another route, the 333, serves hotels along Taiwan Boulevard but is not an express service. Councilors Zhang Fen-yu and Chen Ya-hui highlighted that the Tun District, home to a significant portion of the city's population, lacks direct airport access, forcing residents to transfer at the High-Speed Rail Taichung Station or Taichung Railway Station.

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The opening of express bus routes is predicated on public ridership; if no one takes them, it will result in losses, and bus operators will be unwilling to take them on.

Councilor Zhang emphasized that the Dalis district alone ranks third in population within Taichung. She proposed two potential express routes: one from the Taiping and Dali areas via Provincial Highway 74, and another from Wufeng and southern Dali districts, connecting through the High-Speed Rail station. These routes aim to provide a quicker and more convenient journey to the airport before the planned MRT airport line is completed.

Ye Zhaofu, Director of the Transportation Bureau, acknowledged the demand but cited concerns about ridership and potential financial losses for bus operators. He explained that express routes are typically established in densely populated areas with connections to major transit hubs like train and MRT stations. Ye noted that the Tun District is vast, with distances to the airport exceeding 30 kilometers, posing challenges for bus companies in terms of staffing and operational efficiency. He assured that the bureau would further study the possibility of adding services to the Tun District, considering the existing bus routes that already connect the area to the airport.

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Dali District's population is the third highest in Taichung City, and the entire Tun District's population is not less than that of the city center, but Dali, Taiping, and Wufeng to Taichung Airport must transfer at Taichung High-Speed Rail Station or Taichung Railway Station, which is very inconvenient.