Free Guide to Yangmingshan Flower Season Shuttle Buses – Avoid Flower Viewing Turning into Traffic Jam Watching This New Year

▲ Yangmingshan Calla Lily. (Photo/Archive photo, by reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Comprehensive Report

From late February to late April each year, Yangmingshan bursts into bloom with flowers and calla lilies in full glory, attracting many who take advantage of the Lunar New Year holiday to hike and admire the blossoms. In conjunction with the 2015 Yangmingshan Flower and Calla Lily Season (February 7 to April 26), the Taipei City Government will implement traffic controls on specific holidays and arrange special shuttle buses to transport flower-viewing crowds.

This year’s flower season shuttle bus routes include the 127 (Taipei Metro Jiantan Station – Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot – Zhuzihu) from the city to Yangmingshan, as well as loop routes on the mountain such as the 124 (Xiaoyoukeng – Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot – Yangmingshan Bus Terminal), 125 (Flower Clock – Yangmingshan Bus Terminal), 130 (Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot – Yangmingshan Residence), and 131 (Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot – Zhuzihu). Leisure buses 128 and 129 have also been extended to Zhuzihu to offer the public more diverse travel options and services. Except for the 128 and 129 routes, which are two-section tickets, all other lines use a one-section ticket system. Additionally, except for the 127, 128, and 129 buses which operate only on weekends and holidays, the rest run daily.

The 124 flower season shuttle bus is a new route introduced this year, providing access to Zhuzihu and Xiaoyoukeng while also serving hikers of Qixing Mountain. Passengers can board at the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal and the Second Parking Lot.

▲ Yangmingshan Flower Season. (Photo/from the Yangmingshan Flower Season Facebook page)

The Public Transport Department stated that during the Lunar New Year holiday period (February 19 to 23), the last bus departure time for routes 124, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, and 131 will be moved up by one hour to 5:00 PM, and on New Year’s Eve, the last bus will depart at 3:00 PM. Bus companies are advised to adjust frequency dynamically based on weather and passenger flow. From February 27 to April 26, traffic control will also be in place in the Zhuzihu area on weekends. The public can take the 260 from Taipei Main Station, the Red 5 from Taipei Metro Jiantan Station to the Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot and transfer to flower season shuttle buses, or take the Little 8 or Little 9 from Taipei Metro Shihpai or Beitou stations to go up the mountain for flower viewing—helping to avoid traffic jams that might dampen the experience.

To facilitate those with mobility issues in visiting the mountain for flower viewing, the 260 (including the area and Flower Clock line) from Taipei Main Station to Yangmingshan is fully equipped with low-floor buses (featuring two accessible seats), with two large rehabilitation buses (with six accessible seats) allocated on the Flower Clock line. On the Red 5 route from Taipei Metro Jiantan Station to the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal, all buses are also low-floor, and between the Flower Clock and Erziping (passing by Yangmingshan Residence en route), designated small rehabilitation buses provide fixed-point shuttle services.

The Taipei City Government also stated that traffic control measures will be implemented on holidays (14 days including February 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, and March 1, 7, 8, 14, 15) during the flower season, with control times and areas adjusted flexibly depending on traffic conditions in the Yangmingshan area.
1. Uphill Control Points (7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, except for private cars/trucks with passes): “Intersection of Yangde Boulevard and Zhicheng Road”.
2. Downhill Control Points (2:00 PM to 6:00 PM): “Intersection of Yangming Road and Zhongheng Street”.
3. Flexible Control Points: Four locations including “Intersection of Gezhi Road and Jing Shan Road”, “Intersection of Yangming Road and Xinyuan Street”, “Intersection of Xingyi Road and Quanyuan Road”, and “Lane 71, Section 3, Zhishan Road”.