Ho Hsin-chun Proposes Upgrading Taichung Elderly Love Card: Taxi Points Increased to 200 per Ride

By Central News Agency Reporter Hao Hsueh-ching, Taichung, June 15

Democratic Progressive Party Taichung mayoral candidate Ho Hsin-chun held a press conference today, unveiling her policy proposal titled 'Expanded and Upgraded Use of the Taichung Elderly Love Card.' She advocates increasing the point deduction for taxi rides from the current 85 points to 200 points per trip, expanding usage to convenience stores and supermarkets, and eliminating the monthly reset of unused points.

Ho held the press conference this afternoon at the Nantun Municipal Office, where she presented her upgraded elderly card policy. In addition to increasing the taxi ride point deduction from 85 to 200 points, she proposes expanding usage to National Health Insurance pharmacies, convenience stores, supermarkets, and agricultural and fisheries cooperative sales outlets—key daily life access points—and implementing a policy to carry over unused monthly points within the same year, rather than resetting them at month-end.

Ho explained that by the end of 2025, the number of validly issued Taichung Elderly Love Cards reached 520,000, with over 90% of residents aged 65 and above having applied. The city government currently subsidizes 1,000 points per month, but actual usage data shows that as high as 98% of elderly users do not fully utilize their monthly points, with only 1.4% using the full amount each month.

As a current legislator, Ho stated that since being nominated as mayoral candidate last year, she has been visiting grassroots communities and engaging with many elderly citizens. The most frequent feedback and complaint she has received is that the 'Taichung Elderly Love Card is not user-friendly,' indicating that while the city issues the cards, actual usability remains inconvenient—hence the common frustration among seniors that they can 'see it but not benefit from it.'

Ho emphasized that for the Elderly Love Card to truly encourage seniors to go out more, it must be convenient to use. Currently, with only 85 points deductible per taxi ride, seniors often have to pay out of pocket, leading many to simply stay home. Therefore, she advocates prioritizing improvements in areas most impactful to seniors—raising the taxi deduction to 200 points per ride to make leaving home easier and ensuring the card is genuinely useful and perceptibly beneficial.

She also believes the card’s usage scope should be expanded. Beyond existing services such as buses, TRA, MRT, taxis, medical visit discounts, and National Sports Centers, it should include NHI pharmacies, convenience stores and supermarkets, and local agricultural and fisheries cooperative sales outlets, enabling seniors to purchase fresh local produce. Additionally, unused monthly points of 1,000 should be allowed to accumulate within the same calendar year instead of expiring monthly, allowing seniors to use points flexibly according to their personal needs. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150615