Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Mayor Hau Lung-bin and Taipei County Magistrate Chou Hsi-wei unveiled a new fleet of public buses during a press conference on September 14. These low-floor vehicles run on hybrid energy systems, helping to reduce pollution in our environment.

The mayor noted that the new hybrid-power buses are intelligent vehicles utilizing a mix of electric and diesel power. The onboard system help improve fuel economy by deciding whether to use the power from the gasoline engine or electric motor, depending on the actual situation. In addition, the breaking system on the vehicle allows it to convert otherwise wasted energy to electricity stored in the battery, thereby reducing carbon emission and saving energy.

Hau pointed out that the diesel consumption of the hybrid system is roughly 30 percent lower than the amount used by traditional diesel engines. Through the deployment of these energy-efficient vehicles, he vows to continue with the quest of making Taipei a green and environmental-friendly city,

According to Capital Bus, the company plans to deploy the new hybrid buses to shuttle services for the upcoming 2010 Taipei International Garden and Horticulture Expo (Taipei INTL Flora Expo). This encourages passengers to take the city’s public transportation system and supports green-transportation policies.

The city government will establish three shuttling service routes for people traveling between the venues and nearby MRT stations during the expo.

These include the Intra-venue Route (Dajia Riverside Park – MRT Yuanshan Station), MRT Tamsui Line Route (MRT Minquan W. Road Station – MRT Jiantan Station), and the Songshan Airport Route (MRT Yuanshan Station – MRT Songshan Airport Station).