Double-decker sightseeing buses adjust schedules and cut prices for their first anniversary to boost value

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family (compiled and reported)
 
Double-decker sightseeing buses have become a new highlight of Taiwanese tourism since their launch and attracted many foreign visitors, drawing global attention. Now, to celebrate the first anniversary of the service, the Taipei City Government has rolled out a range of appealing offers for both domestic and international tourists. These include adjusting schedules and prices in line with attraction operating hours to enhance value, as well as significantly boosting marketing efforts to raise awareness of the double-decker sightseeing buses.

The double-decker sightseeing buses operate on a Blue Line (to the National Palace Museum) and a Red Line (to Taipei 101). Over the past year, they have gradually gained overseas recognition. The Taipei double-decker sightseeing bus routes pass by major attractions such as Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, Ximending, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Yongkang Street, and the Shilin Official Residence, also driving substantial tourism business.

Now, following the first anniversary of the service, adjustments have been made to the double-decker sightseeing buses to meet passenger demand by increasing or decreasing the frequency of services. The Red Line will add a bus every half hour at 4:30 PM, and the last bus will be moved up to 8:00 PM, ensuring all passengers have time to visit the Taipei 101 Observatory, which closes at 10:00 PM. Additionally, the original one-day ticket price has been reduced to NT$600 due to shortened daily operating hours. To stimulate sales, a promotion has been launched: those who purchase a one-day ticket before the end of January will receive an aluminum alloy mini car worth NT$350 for free. These moves comprehensively enhance the value of the improved double-decker sightseeing buses.

In addition, to encourage local Taiwanese travelers to take the double-decker sightseeing buses, a special single-ride fare discount has been introduced. Visitors can show their ID to ride once for just NT$150. Seniors aged 65 and above, children aged 6 to 12 (inclusive), enjoy a half-price discount of NT$75, and children under 6 can ride for free, offering a new family travel option. Apart from cash, the buses accept nine payment methods including major credit cards such as VISA and MasterCard, EasyCard, iPass, and cash, making ticket purchasing more convenient.

This comprehensive adjustment of the double-decker sightseeing buses not only introduces more benefits and enhances the quality of the sightseeing experience, but also previously launched a real-time translation app for Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Malaysian passengers to use onboard. Plans are also underway to update the Thai audio guide onboard in February, making it the fifth language version after Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean.