New tourist bus hits the streets to welcome 2018

With 2018 approaching, Taipei City Government launched a fleet of new brightly painted double-decker sightseeing buses onto the city streets. During December, the buses can be seen weaving through the bustling streets of Taipei City ready to greet 2018 together with the people.

Taipei City’s double-decker sightseeing buses were officially launched on January 18 of this year. Despite a great deal of controversy concerning their operation over the last ten months, passenger numbers have continued to rise nonetheless. Currently, the service is attracting close to 10,000 passengers each month, of which more than 60% are foreign tourists.

Divided into blue and red lines, the sightseeing service travels through many well-known attractions in Taipei including the North Gate, Presidential Office, and Taipei 101 on the Red Line, and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the National Palace Museum on the Blue Line. The provision of on-bus English and Chinese tour guides has also been a big hit with foreign tourists. Taipei’s first-rate transit system already affords tourists many convenient options for traveling around the city; however, the new double-decker sightseeing service provides a fresh vantage point from which to enjoy the city sights and offers various ticket types to accommodate the needs and plans of all tourists.

以下為中文對照

2018新年即將到來，台北市政府與雙層觀光巴士合作推出主題彩繪車廂，自12月起裝載歡樂穿梭在台北市區，和民眾一同迎接2018年。

台北市雙層觀光巴士在今年1月18日正式上路，營運近十個月以來雖然爭議不斷，但是乘客人數仍向上成長。目前每個月的載客人數達近萬人，當中的外國觀光客更是達百分之60以上。

雙層觀光巴士目前分為紅線及藍線，沿途經過許多台北知名景點，包括紅線的北門、總統府、台北101，藍線的中正紀念堂、故宮等，路途上則有專門的車掌小姐以英文及中文的方式做介紹，吸引許多外國遊客搭乘。台北因交通便利，國人及觀光客有太多選擇可以暢遊台北，所以雙層觀光巴士也有相對措施，推出不同票種供遊客選擇，讓遊客可以用不同的高度看見台北。