Rail Schedule Changes to Affect Taoyuan Commuters 台鐵區間車減班 桃市通勤尖峰恐受影響

Taiwan Railways has reduced the number of commuter train services due to the escalating epidemic situation. Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan said he will negotiate with Taiwan Railways about the adjustments.

Taiwan Railways' workforce has been decimated by the escalating epidemic, and the number of passengers has also declined sharply. It therefore announced a reduction in the number of commuter train runs between May 14 and June 28. In response, the Taoyuan City Council said over 10 of the 30 canceled trains are used by students and commuters during peak commuting times. It urged the Taoyuan City Government to come up with a response.

Resident: “If the number of runs is decreased, then some students might not have any trains to take before and after class. The impact on students is greater. (The amount of time between trains has increased.) Of course, because the number of runs has been decreased so there are fewer of them.”

Cheng Wen-tsan, Taoyuan City Mayor: “What has the city government already done to respond to this huge decrease in the number of commuter train runs? ”
Chou Yu-chin, Taoyuan City Councilor: “We will talk with Taiwan Railways about having more frequent trains during peak periods and fewer during off-peak periods. We'll make this known to them.”

Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan said he hopes to talk with Taiwan Railways about making adjustments to its plan. Meanwhile, Hsinchu Bus announced that its operation permits for 34 routes expire in September and it will stop servicing these routes. This change will affect the residents of Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli.

Hsu Hsi-fang, Director, Transportation Mgmt. Section, Hsinchu MV Office: “With regards to these 34 routes whose permits are expiring, we will invite scholars, experts, local governments, and operators to meet before the end of May.”

The Hsinchu Motor Vehicles Office said discussions are underway about how to optimize the routes and networks, and it may invite other operators to take over or have city buses serve the routes. It hopes to maintain the routes.

火車站冷清清，隨著本土疫情爆發，台鐵人力吃緊，加上進站搭車旅客人數銳減，日前宣布5月14日到6月28日區間列車大減班，但桃園市議員議會質詢指出，台鐵停駛30班次，其中有超過10幾個班次，是學生、上班族通勤尖峰時段列車，要求市府積極因應。

民眾表示：「減班的話，有的上下課要坐車就沒得坐呀，對學生的影響比較大呀。」

桃園市議員周玉琴提問：「市府對這個鐵路區間停駛大減班，我們目前有做什麼改善嗎?」

桃園市長鄭文燦則表示：「我們來跟台鐵商量，尖峰班距要密一點，離峰班距疏一點沒關係，這個我們會跟台鐵反映。」

市長鄭文燦表示，會再跟台鐵商量，調整通勤減班車次，而除了台鐵區間火車大減班外，新竹客運也提出有34條客運路線，在今年9月營運許可證屆期將停駛、不繼續營運，可能對桃竹苗縣市民眾造成影響。

新竹區監理所運輸管理科長許錫芳說：「有關這34條屆期的路線呢，我們預計在5月底前，邀請學者專家，還有地方政府及業者共同來協商。」

監理站表示，針對相關的路線，正在商討如何將優化路線和路網進一步整合，甚至開放給其他業者接駛，或轉成市區客運等等，協助業者解決經營困境，同時讓路線繼續維持營運，滿足民眾交通需求。