YouBike rolls into Changhua – service to officially launch as early as July

▲ The smiling-bike YouBike system is pedaling out of Taipei and heading to Changhua. (Photo / Reporter Lu Y...)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Changhua County is also set to introduce the YouBike system. The success of Taipei’s YouBike has sparked a wave of enthusiasm across Taiwan for establishing public bicycle systems. Compared to New Taipei City’s previous “NewBike” and Kaohsiung’s “CityBike,” which used different vendors, Changhua County is directly following Taipei’s lead by adopting the same system and plans to begin service in July.

As a major county in Taiwan’s bicycle industry, Changhua is home to 60% of the nation’s bicycle component manufacturers. Therefore, Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan believes the county cannot do without a public bicycle system—not only for the convenience of local residents but also so that visitors can explore the area by bike.

▲ Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan officially signed a contract with Giant yesterday. (Photo / From the official website of Changhua County Government)

The Changhua County Government officially signed a contract with Giant on the 8th. Cho Po-yuan stated that the initial planned locations for bike stations will first be selectedat the front and rear of Changhua Railway Station, with an estimated 20 and 10 rental stations respectively;around the Changhua County Government, Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau, Zhongshan Elementary School, Yanping Park, and Changhua County Police Department, among others, will also gradually set up about 30 stations with a total of 750 bicycles for service. Completion is expected by July.。

Regarding the pricing and what types of cards can be used for renting, Wang, head of the Urban and Tourism Development Planning Division at the Changhua County Government, stated that since the “Taiwan Pass” is widely used in central Taiwan, whether the system can accept both the “Taiwan Pass” and the “EasyCard” is still under discussion with the vendor to determine the most convenient rental and pricing options. A final decision is expected by May at the earliest.