Connecting Yida to Jioujiutang Station: Kaohsiung’s “Free Taxi-Bus” Launches in July

▲Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau launches the taxi-style bus service, with the new Dashu line connecting Yida World and Jioujiutang Railway Station (Photo/From Yida World’s official Facebook page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

To better serve residents in rural areas, Kaohsiung has pioneered a free “bus-style taxi” service. Currently, there are two routes—Dahu and Yong’an—and a third, the Dashu route, will debut on July 1st, connecting Yida World and Jioujiutang Railway Station to make it easier for locals to get home.

The Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau stated that the “Flexible Taxi Transport Service Plan” is mainly aimed at improving public transport usage in remote areas, while also taking care of people with mobility issues, seniors, shoppers, and residents in outlying suburban areas. During off-peak hours when regular buses are less frequent, taxis are used to flexibly replace bus services. Local residents have also noted that they previously had to take buses that detoured through other districts to commute to work, but with the flexible taxi service, they save a lot of time and are more willing to use public transport.

▲Jioujiutang Railway Station (Photo/From Wikimedia Commons)

The bus-style taxi Dashu line will launch on July 1st, starting from Yida World and connecting with bus line 8501, traveling all the way to Jioujiutang Railway Station. In Yida World, there will be six scheduled services at 08:35, 10:00, 11:20, 13:35, 14:55, and 16:15; at Jioujiutang Railway Station, there will also be six scheduled services at 09:15, 10:40, 12:00, 14:15, 15:35, and 16:55.

The Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau stated that the bus-style taxi will drop passengers off at designated stops along the set route, and can also drop them off between stops upon passenger request. Additionally, there are two ways to ride: passengers can board at scheduled times at bus stops along the planned route, or they can book a specific pickup time and location. Furthermore, the Daliao line is expected to launch after mid-August.