TPass 2.0 to begin in February for nationwide travel

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) TPass 2.0, a reward scheme for frequent users of public transport, will be launched in February for journeys made across Taiwan, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) announced Tuesday.

TPass 2.0 is being introduced to further encourage the use of public transport by rewarding frequent passengers for journeys made nationwide every month, said Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) at a news conference at the MOTC's Taipei headquarters.

Anyone can sign up for the reward scheme, starting Tuesday, by registering their stored-value cards accepted to pay fare on buses and trains through the TPass website, whether they are TPass users or not, Chen said.

For TPass users, the reward scheme provides additional discounts for trips made outside the region covered by the prepaid 30-day travel pass, according to the minister.

Under the reward scheme, passengers taking a minimum of 11 bus trips in a month can receive reimbursement amounting to at least 15 percent of the total fare they pay, added to the same card they register and use, from the 25th of the following month, Highway Bureau Director-General Chen Wen-juei (陳文瑞) said at the news conference.

The scheme only covers rides on Taiwan Railway trains, Taipei Metro services, or tram services in New Taipei, and will be calculated separately, he said.

Chen Wen-juei also said that that passengers need to make at least 11 trips on one of the three services to claim a 2 percent reward for each of them.

A special edition TPass 2.0 card can be pre-ordered through kiosks in convenience stores of 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK Mart chains, or purchased from staff at the information desk in Taipei Metro stations, the MOTC said in a statement.

The special edition card holders, who register the card before March 31, will be offered an additional 10 percent reward on what they can claim after making the required number of rides by the end of 2025, according to the ministry.

The TPass 2.0 scheme, like the TPass launched on July 1, 2023, is funded by the government under the Special Act for Enhancing Economic and Social Resilience and Public Sharing of Economic Achievement in the Post-pandemic Era, according to the TPass website.

Local governments across Taiwan have introduced 27 TPass plans, which offer discounts of 50-70 percent on average to commuters using TPass, according to the website.