The newly launched 30-day TPASS will be available to use from Saturday across public transportation in Taiwan. Transport and Communications Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) made a visit on Wednesday to Taipei Main Station to try out the TPASS dedicated ticket barriers himself.
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A new 30-day travel pass will be available to use from July 1 across multiple modes of public transport and regions in Taiwan. In the initial period, users of the pass, known as the TPASS, will have to use dedicated entry and exit gates. 400 of the designated gates have been added ahead of the launch.
Transport and Communications Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) made a visit to Taipei Main Station on Wednesday to practice using the pass first-hand. He says the TPASS is not just a monthly pass for commuters but also will be great for tourists.
While some may be worried about queue times at the new TPASS gates, Taiwan Railways Administration Director-General Du Wei (杜微) says that the new TPASS gates are actually much faster. He says that during testing around 50 people per minute could pass through the TPASS gates, compared to only 40 people per minute in the ordinary lane.
The new TPASS will have separate schemes for north, central, and south Taiwan. In the north it will allow unlimited use of most transportation services in Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, and Taoyuan.
So whether you're a tourist or commuter, don't let this opportunity TPASS you by!