Weekend crowds surge — Kaohsiung’s duck-watching shuttle now departs from Exit 1 of Central Park MRT Station

▲ The Yellow Rubber Duck has attracted 1.4 million visitors in its 10 days on display in Kaohsiung. (Photo / Reporter You [Name unclear])

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

In the 10 days since the Yellow Rubber Duck exhibition opened, visitor numbers have surpassed 1.4 million. To help people get to see the duck more quickly, the Kaohsiung City Transportation Bureau has advanced the free shuttle bus service to start at 10 AM starting October 5, and has set up a dedicated bus lane for duck-viewing, ensuring a smooth journey to see the duck.

Since the Yellow Rubber Duck went on display at Glory Pier 10 days ago, large crowds have flocked in every day, both weekdays and weekends. Due to limited parking near the pier, the Kaohsiung City Transportation Bureau has been operating free shuttle buses on weekends since the exhibition began. Originally, the shuttle service ran from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM, but due to overwhelming crowds, on September 28 and 29, the bureau piloted increased shuttle frequency and extended service hours until 11 PM, while also setting up a “duck-viewing dedicated bus lane” on Youth Second Road. The results were positive, prompting the bureau to further upgrade the shuttle service.

For the three remaining weekend holidays until the end of the exhibition (October 20),the free weekend shuttle buses will start earlier at 10 AM from Exit 1 of Central Park MRT Station,with additional buses running every 5 minutes during peak hours, and service extended until 11 PM;a “duck-viewing dedicated lane” has been designated along the duck shuttle bus route, including the existing two-way inner lanes of Youth Road (between Zhonghua Road and Haibian Road), plus the westbound inner lane of Youth Road (between Zhongshan Road and Zhonghua Road),and during the operation of the free shuttle buses, except for shuttles, buses, public transit, taxis, and emergency vehicles, other vehicles are prohibited from using the public transport lane. Left turns by cars are also restricted at intersections along the route, except for buses, all aiming to provide the public with a more convenient duck-viewing experience.
 

% Several images of the transportation system showing the new dedicated lane and extended shuttle times (Photo / Provided by Kaohsiung City Government)