Haiduan Township's 'Happy Bus' Overwhelmed by Tourists, Displacing Local Residents

Central News Agency (Taitung) May 27. The 'Happy Bus' in Haiduan Township, Taitung County, has recently been fully booked, with residents complaining that it has become a shuttle for tourists visiting the Southern Cross-Island Highway and hikers heading to Jiaming Lake, displacing local needs. The Taitung County Government has promised to coordinate with the Haiduan Township Office and the operator to improve the situation. To address transportation difficulties in remote areas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Highway Bureau subsidized the 'Happy Bus' in March to facilitate school commutes for students and medical visits for the elderly. While managed by the county and township, it was discovered that 90% of bookings were made by tourists and hikers. KMT Councilor Chang Chuan-hsin-lan pointed out in the county council today that residents have been unable to book vehicles between Chishang, Guanshan, and Xiangyang since early May. Chang criticized the township office for outsourcing booking management to the operator, arguing that the office should manage it to ensure local needs are met. Liu Jun-yi, Director of the Taitung County Transportation and Maintenance Engineering Office, acknowledged that tourist usage in May was excessively high, affecting residents' rights. While public transport cannot legally restrict specific users, the county is working with the township and operator to establish a 'whitelist system' to prioritize local residents.