Department of Transportation

Taipei City Bus serves about 1.3 million passengers averagely every day. It is an essential public transportation in the greater Taipei metropolitan area. The bus drivers therefore bear heavier safety responsibility to provide high quality transportation service. Their overseers, the Department of Transportation and Taipei Public Transportation Office of the Taipei City Government, and Taipei City Bus Management Committee, Taipei City Bus Business Organization and the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation worked together to organize the 8th “Good Bus Manner Campaign” this year. The campaign this year included a series of fun activities. In addition to create love-infused bus atmosphere, the campaign introduced “artistry”. Articles about warm short stories were invited. Buses were painted with the picture created by an illustration artist, “Milu”. People could show their thankfulness to bus drivers through this campaign while bus drivers would get inspired to provide better quality service. This campaign made bus become the origin of happiness.
Taipei city buses had various additions of hardware and software services each year, in order to provide services closed to the needs of every passenger. The number of low-floor buses was increased from 2,403 to 2,535, occupying 70% of the total number of buses in Taiwan. Both interior and external bus surveillance facilities became more widespread. In terms of software services, bus drivers not only assisted passengers in getting on buses, but also reminded passengers whenever approaching bus stops or making a turn so passengers had safe and comfortable bus-riding experience. As shown by the statistics of the Taipei Public Transportation Office, there were 2,181 cases of excellent bus drivers reported by passengers in 2013, and there were 2,397 cases reported last year (2014). The number increased by 9.9%, suggesting passengers truly experienced the better bus driver service.
The campaign invited three enthusiastic bus drivers to share their stories. Mr. Xin-Ning Xu, a bus driver of the Capital Bus, saw a school child ran to call the bus which was very dangerous. He reminded the child that he should stay on the sidewalk while waving hands to call the bus. Later, the child found out he did not have money to pay for bus fare, and felt panic. He kindly comforted him to ride the bus with peace of mind. Mr. Zhi-En Xu, a bus driver of the Shin-Shin Bus, on the day of Typhoon Dujuan asked a motorbike rider to get on the bus along with his motorbike as he was worried that the rider might fell down in the drastically windy day. He dropped off the rider at a safe place. He thus became an “enthusiastic bus driver”. Mr. Qi-Jun Wang, a bus driver of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, saw a man with disabilities waving hands to call the bus at Yuanshan Station. Although he was on the way to depart, he pulled back to the stop and dropped down a sloped floor to assist the passenger in getting on the bus. Everyone on the bus was patiently waiting although it took a while to help the man get on the bus (operating the sloped floor and getting the passenger on took about 4 minutes). Passengers on the bus, Ms. Yu-Jun Huang and Ms. Qi-Lin Chen, who uploaded two videos and some photos about the event online, also attended to share the story with the public. Excellent bus drivers deserved gratitude from the public.
To show gratitude to these excellent bus drivers, 104 Good Bus Manner Campaign planned a series of activities that invited people to spread around their words to thank bus drivers. The “charming and heartwarming bus riding story” was a short story competition that invited short stories with venue on bus. Furthermore, in March next year (2016), the campaign will work in coordination with the youngest illustration artist, “Milu” to create buses with theme on promotion of safety and good manner. People will have the opportunity to ride the “artistry bus”. Several bus drivers will become safety and good manner delegates, and visit elementary schools to give correct knowledge about riding a bus. In January next year, a commendation ceremony for excellent drivers will be held with the purpose to compliment them on their excellent service and work attitude. It was expected that bus drivers would receive applause from the public from the series of activities.

2015-12-02