Ten Million Ridership Launch; Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan: Airport MRT services will be optimized

Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan went to Airport MRT A1 Taipei Station on the afternoon of the 2nd to attend the "Ten Million Ridership Launch Press Conference." Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan said that the Airport MRT is the face of the country, and cultivating ridership requires diversified services, including transfers, shuttle connections, facilities at each station and a sound MRT network. Since the Airport MRT officially began operation on March 2, it has averaged 54,000 passenger trips per day, and it is hoped that the goal of 80,000 passenger trips per day can be achieved step by step, with 10 million passenger trips expected to be reached by the end of August.

Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan pointed out that the Airport MRT has been in operation since March and is about to reach half a year, and it is expected to reach 10 million passenger trips by the end of August, which is also an important milestone for the Airport MRT. Taoyuan Metro Corporation will subsequently plan to purchase new train cars according to actual operating growth, in order to achieve the goal of one train every 6 minutes.

Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan affirmed the dedication of the Taoyuan Metro Corporation team, and said that more diverse services will be launched next, including food court, shopping, leisure and other service items at A1 Station, and various diverse services will also be provided at other stations in the future.

Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan said that because the start of operation had been delayed in the past, Taoyuan Metro Corporation had accumulated losses of about 1.7 billion yuan before the Airport MRT began operation, and the Railway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications is currently studying a subsidy mechanism; in addition, Taoyuan Metro Corporation's ticket revenue in 2017 is expected to reach 1.6 billion yuan, and together with advertising revenue and rental revenue, this year's operating situation will be kept within a loss of 100 million yuan. The Airport MRT's operating performance is good, which also shows the potential of the Airport MRT and the public's demand for the Airport MRT.

Taoyuan Metro Corporation Chairman Liu Kun-yi also pointed out that to celebrate Airport MRT ridership surpassing ten million passenger trips, a number of preferential measures have been launched. When total ridership officially surpasses ten million, a "50,000 yuan Breeze merchandise gift voucher" will be given to the lucky 10 millionth passenger, plus an additional 20,000 yuan merchandise gift voucher to each of the passenger before and after, for a total of 3 people. Other promotional activities include "Cheer for Universiade athletes" from August 2 to 31; show a Facebook check-in screen at A1 Station (set to public), or show a Breeze APP purchase, and enjoy a 10% discount at designated counters; show a Universiade venue ticket and receive 1 ticket from A1 Station to the venue for that ticketed event, with the travel section from A1 to the designated 3 stations (A4 Xinzhuang Fuduxin Station, A6 Taishan Guihe Station, A7 National Taiwan Sport University Station), limited to one redemption for either the outbound or return trip, with a total limit of 500 tickets for round trips during the period.

From August 2 to September 30, passengers who use in-town check-in at A1 Station can receive 1 raffle ticket, and the prizes are 3 "China Airlines regional route economy class round-trip tickets"; passengers who use in-town check-in at A1 Station and show the membership card number on their China Airlines boarding pass can enjoy a 12% discount on all purchases at Breeze A1 Station, and many designated products at Breeze Taipei Station are buy one get one free.

In addition, from August 2 to September 30, passengers who use the Metropolitan Satellite APP to call a taxi and set the destination as A1 Station can receive 1 NT$50 voucher for a Metropolitan Taxi ride, and the voucher is limited to use on the next Metropolitan Taxi ride; passengers at A1 Station who present an airline ticket, Taoyuan Metro ticket (proof of travel), or show Breeze APP membership point spending can enjoy a 10% discount on products at designated counters.