Taipei’s YouBike system ended its free 30-minute grace period today. Usage was down this morning, though officials say more time is needed to determine the full impact of the new fare structure. In the past, Taipei provided 30 minutes of free YouBike usage. This benefit was scrapped in exchange for a new fare structure that is entirely pay as you go.According to data from Taipei’s Department of Transportation, on the first day of the new fee structure, a total of 17,000 people used YouBikes from 6 am to noon. This was 20 percent lower than the previous day, when the first 30 minutes of YouBike usage was free.Liu Chia-youTaipei Department of TransportationWe need to observe usage over a longer period of time to identify (areas) for improvement or see if there has been any change to the system. YouBikes now cost NT$5 for the first half hour of usage. The rate for the next 3.5 hours of use is still NT$10 every 30 minutes.“I think that NT$5 is reasonable, and it may even be useful to those who really want to use a bike.”A poll suggested that most residents support the new fare scheme, though it is unknown how it will impact usage.

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