Taipei Councilor Proposes Free Weekend Public Transit; Transportation Department Responds Positively

(CNA reporter Yang Shu-min, Taipei, 19th) Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui proposed today, drawing inspiration from Europe's "Car-Free Week," to offer free public transportation on Saturdays and Sundays. The aim is to get people "addicted" to a life free of traffic jams and the hassle of finding parking, thereby encouraging more people to support "Car-Free Day." The Department of Transportation responded that it would give the idea positive consideration. September 22nd is International Car-Free Day, and Hsieh Ming-hung, the Commissioner of Taipei's Department of Transportation, presented a plan for the 2026 Car-Free Day event at the City Council's Transportation Committee today. He stated that past events have included street carnivals and cycling activities, and in recent years have expanded to include collaborations with coffee events and corporate sponsorships. However, KMT councilor Chen Ping-fu argued that the city should incorporate free activities to provide genuine experiences rather than just holding promotional events. His party colleague, Yu Shu-hui, further elaborated that if there are concerns about significant revenue loss, the city could follow Europe's "Car-Free Week" model by offering free public transit on Saturdays and Sundays. During this time, commuting demand is low, reducing the cost. Other series of activities could be held on weekdays. She said, "Don't always think about spending a lot of money on events while being terrified of losing a little revenue. One is spending real money, the other is just a reduction in income." She expressed confidence that the Metro company could cooperate, noting that YouBike is already free for the first 30 minutes. The remaining issue would be calculating the subsidy for weekend bus revenue. Yu Shu-hui urged the city government to think in terms of investment and business, to have confidence in its product, and to encourage the public to experience the benefits of no traffic and no parking searches. "Once they get addicted after a free trial, the city wins," she said. Hsieh Ming-hung concluded by saying, "Thank you, we will give it positive consideration."