Department of Transportation

    A series of “Bus Kindness Campaign” events, Department of Transportation, Taipei City Government, Taipei City Public Transportation Office (hereinafter referred to as the PTO), and the Taipei City Bus Joint Management Committee held the 16th Bus Kindness Campaign Award Ceremony today (the 16th). Deputy Mayor Shu-Chuan Lee was invited to award and commend various bus operators, thanking the drivers for working tirelessly to serve each passenger, allowing passengers to ride the bus at ease. Due to the lifting of the pandemic this year, the transportation volume of buses in Taipei City has gradually returned to how it was before the pandemic. Compared with the transportation in the same period last year, there was a 16% growth in the transportation volume. Each driver has patiently assisted and provided considerate services for passengers. The satisfaction rate of the drivers have exceeded 90%, and their service quality is something that everyone recognizes.

    The three most popular drivers who won awards at the 2023 Bus Kindness Campaign “Operate with Safety, Happiness without Barrier” were drivers Yen-Chih Shen of Shin-Shin Bus, Lin-cheng Tsai of San Chung Bus, and Chi-sheng Su of Metropolitan Transport. Their warm and friendly service and their actions to uphold justice were deeply touching. According to statistics from January to October of 2023, 22% of the serviced passengers were those with concessionaire cards (those over the age of 65 and those registered with having a disability). Therefore, the PTO continues to assist bus operators and drivers to follow standard of operations regarding driving safety and assisting passengers with special needs. People were deeply moved by the three popular drivers who won this award due to their warm and friendly actions, as well as their considerate and diligent service. When driver Yen-Chih Shen noticed a passenger taking care of a child alone, and saw that the height of the stroller is quite high and difficult to move, so Shen took the initiative to ask the passenger which stop the passenger was getting off at, and helped the passenger carry the stroller off the bus without being asked. Shen’s considerate gesture received praise from the passenger, and the passenger sent a small gift to express gratitude to Shen. This positive interaction raised the service quality. One day, when driver Lin-cheng Tsai was driving bus route 299 on Zhongxiao Bridge, a female passenger reported that she had been sexually harassed. After asking the female passenger’s consent, Tsai assisted in calling the police. In order to prevent the suspect from escaping, Tsai drove slowly on the bridge, and after getting off the bridge, Tsai worked with the police to arrest the suspect and assisted the female passenger in identifying the suspect. The other passengers praised Driver Tsai’s heart of righteousness. While driving, driver Chi-sheng Su once had a passenger who was not feeling well and fainted. At that time, Su immediately stopped the bus on the side of the road, and calmly placed a coat under the passenger’s head, and continued to comfort the passenger until the ambulance arrived. The other passengers were in awe after seeing this action. Su also did not forget to thank the other passengers for waiting patiently and for showing how civilized Taipei citizens are.

    In this series of the Bus Kindness Campaign events, the public could experience the daily life of bus drivers through online experience activities. This builds a bridge of friendship between the public and drivers, making the public aware that the work of drivers is not only to drive safely, but also to optimize the passenger experience! People even left messages of support for the drivers, “Taipei is convenient only because of you,” “Taiwanese drivers are the best!” “I once encountered a passenger in a wheelchair while taking the bus. Thank you to the drivers for your professionalism and enthusiasm!” All of the thank you messages were from the bottom of the passengers’ hearts!

    This year, because the pandemic has lifted, in-school publicity activities were able to be held once again. Through the drivers’ explanations, practical operations and drills, in addition to children being taught how to get on and off the bus correctly, they were also taught how to deal with passengers with special needs, which is in line with this year’s theme of “Operate with Safety, Happiness without Barrier.” 109 classes from 15 public and private elementary schools, including two special education schools, benefited from these activities. This immersive experience allowed children to learn the correct safety riding concept. Thank you to all the drivers for their support in traffic safety education and their efforts in guarding the health and safety of the public. Because of their thoughtfulness and heart of righteousness, the citizens are able to have a comfortable and safe riding experience at all times.

2023-12-16