The monthly travel pass is set to roll out throughout the island by July. Currently, out of 22 counties and cities in Taiwan, 20 have made proposals to participate in the monthly travel pass plan and are in the process of changing and consolidating their respective systems in preparation.
Is it really feasible to start a nationwide monthly commuter pass in July? Transportation and Communications Minister Wang Kuo-tsai reported this special project at the Legislative Yuan. He revealed that currently, the more definitive areas are the Greater Taipei (Taipei-New Taipei-Keelung-Taoyuan) Metropolitan, Taichung-Changhua-Nantou-Miaoli, and Tainan-Kaohsiung-Pingtung Metropolitan areas. Among them, the first and third areas have already had relevant promotions and experience of a monthly pass. Thus, the plan should be ok to start in July.
Wang Kuo-tsai, Minister of Transportation and Communications: “Out of 22 counties and cities in Taiwan, 20 have participated in this monthly plan. They are all proposing relevant substance, including intra-city public transport, and also including Taiwan Railway trains, all speedily getting ready to start. In principle, we will target July as our objective.”
For the discrepancy in price between monthly passes and regular tickets, 50 percent of its fare will be borne by the MOTC for the special municipalities while 75 percent of it will be subsidized for non-special municipalities. As for highway buses, Taiwan Railway trains, and other inter-city transport, the central government will subsidize 90 percent of its fee. Nevertheless, legislators are concerned that after the electricity price goes up in April, the costs of Taiwan Railway and HSR will skyrocket, resulting in pressure for a likely increase in the ticket price.
Hung Mong-kai, Legislator (KMT): “The electricity fees will increase by NT$300 million in a year. Will the ticket price also be increased? ”
Chiang Yao-tsung, THSR President: “We currently have no plans for it yet.”
Hung Mong-kai, Legislator (KMT): “ If due to electricity price increases the local governments cannot withstand such pressure and in turn increase their ticket prices, then the consumers will again have to absorb the costs.”
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications noted that there is currently no plan to increase ticket prices. Also, Taiwan Railway is still suffering from a loss now, so in the process of corporatization, it can adjust the proportion of government subsidization of its debts. As for increased costs in public transport due to electricity price hike, it will further discuss and communicate with the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
全台通勤月票7月份上路究竟可行嗎？交通部上午到立法院進行專案報告，各界關注進度。交通部長王國材坦言，目前比較明確的區域是北北基桃、中彰投苗、南高屏。其中，北北基桃和南高屏，因為先前已經有相關月票推動和基礎，7月份上線沒有問題。
王國材指出：「全台灣22縣市，有20個縣市參加月票的方案。那他們都在提一些相關的內容，包括市區內公共運輸，還有包括我們台鐵。現在是全力在加速，我們原則上就是以7月開通為目標。」
目前月票優惠票價差額，都市內公共運具，直轄市補助50%、非直轄市補助75%；國道客運和台鐵等城際公共運具，中央補助90%。不過民代關切，4月份電價上漲後，仰賴電力系統的雙鐵成本必定上漲，屆時恐怕面臨漲票價的壓力。
高鐵董事長江耀宗表示，電價上漲後一年將增加3億電費，但尚未規劃票價調漲。國民黨立委洪孟楷質疑：「如果說因為電價調漲，各地方政府吃不消，又要調漲票價，那不就是又全民買單？」
交通部表示目前都沒有漲票價的規劃，其中台鐵目前還是虧損的狀態，在公司化過程中可以適當調整政府吸收負債的比例；對於電價增加公共運輸的成本，也會跟經濟部討論溝通。