At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a report from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications on the results of the Executive Yuan's TPASS program, as well as planned discount measures for Taiwan Railway users residing in Hualien or Taitung County. The premier said that the Executive Yuan is expediting approval of the TPASS program's extension for 2026 to 2029, which will encompass both TPASS 1.0 (a travel pass offering one month of unlimited rides across multiple modes of public transportation) and TPASS 2.0 (a system that provides monthly rebates to registered public transportation cards based on usage frequency). The program aims to continue boosting public transport ridership and fostering balanced regional development between urban and rural areas.
The premier noted that NT$20 billion (approximately US$668.4 million) was allocated to implement the TPASS program from 2023 to 2025. Since its launch, TPASS 1.0 passes have been purchased 14.538 million times and utilized on public transportation more than 1.1 billion times, solidifying their role as an essential tool for commuters traveling to work or school. The program has been highly effective in encouraging greater use of public transportation and reducing commuting costs.
Regarding the new Taiwan Railway discount measures, Premier Cho emphasized that the Hualien-Taitung region relies heavily on railway transportation. In response, the premier has decided to increase membership reward point multipliers for local residents using Taiwan Railway services, offering an eightfold increase to points on Mondays through Thursdays (approx. an 8% discount) and a fivefold increase to points on Fridays, weekends and national holidays (approx. a 5% discount). These enhanced rewards are designed to significantly ease the transportation burden on residents in the region.