Ridesharing is fast become a preferred means of transportation for many. It is cheaper, more convenient and an innovative way of commuting without owning the vehicle. The rideshare industry is growing with many new entrants daily. Pioneer rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft remain at the forefront and start-up companies in the industry are modelling their businesses after them.

Now, various vehicles are being introduced into rideshare. People do not only have to travel with cars; other vehicles like bikes, scooters, trucks and even tuk-tuks are being introduced into rideshare. In a bid to promote cleaner environments and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation systems, cities are partnering with rideshare start-ups to introduce smarter transport solutions. In some cases, cities are going it on their own and introducing public ridesharing schemes to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

In this post, we will shed some light on Taipei’s public bikeshare system called YouBike (Ubike). 

 

More About YouBike

 

YouBike is a Taipei based public bicycle sharing service. The service is offered by the city’s Department of Transportation. Taipei is collaborating with local bicycle manufacturer, Giant Bicycles to provide this service in over 6 cities in Taiwan. The service was launched in 2009 and now boasts over 22 million rentals annually with over 200 rental stations.

 

Fare

To rent a bike, it costs NT$5 for the first 30 minutes then NT$10 for every 30 minutes within the first 4 hours, NT$20 for every 30 minutes between 4-8 hours and NT$40 for every 30 minutes after 8 hours.

 

To rent a YouBike

To download the app, visit Play store or the App store. You can rent either as a Member or as a single user. As a member, you will require an Easycard electronic card and a Taipei mobile phone number to register. As a single renter, you will require your credit card and will only be able to rent from a kiosk at a bike station. Please note that YouBike will pre-authorise NT$2,000 on your card which will be cancelled when you return the bike with no incidents.

 

To Use

Inspect the bike before renting it. Once you are satisfied with the state of the bike, place your card on the sensing zone of the bike. Once the green light flashes, makes a beep sound and says “Take”, retrieve the bike from the rack immediately and start riding.

 

To Return

Find an unoccupied parking slot, insert bike lock plate into the dock to lock. Wait for the indicator lights to ask you to place your card on the sensor, then place your Easycard to make payments. Once the fees are taken, the bike has been returned.

 

If you happen to visit Taiwan, be sure to try out a YouBike.

 

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