Asia Insight Season 4 Episode 13 Public Transport Taipei Style 2015
Bright orange bicycles have become an increasingly common sight in Taiwan's biggest city, Taipei. They're all part of YouBike, the public bike sharing system introduced by the city's Department of Transportation to combat traffic congestion, global warming and energy issues. There are now around 6,000 bikes in service, with over 160 rental stations. Since its official launch in 2012, YouBike users have continued to climb. The total number of rentals has exceeded 40 million in just over 2 years. That translates to 11 users per bike per day - far more than user numbers in France and the U.K. where bike sharing systems have long been in operation. What's behind Taipei's success? We examine the efforts and initiatives of the city's transportation department and the company contracted to run the service - Taiwan's largest bicycle manufacturer. We'll also reveal the diverse ways in which the public has embraced the service.
