Free rides on MRT Circular Line to end Saturday

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) Starting Sunday, passengers will no longer be able to travel free of cost on the new Circular Line, and instead will be charged the regular metro system fares, the operator said Tuesday.

The Circular Line has been offering free rides since it officially opened on Jan. 31, but the concession period ends on Feb. 29, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) said.

Starting Sunday, passengers on the Circular Line will be charged the regular fares and will obtain the usual discount when they transfer to a city bus or YouBike, TRTC said.

At Banqiao Station, where the Circular and Bannan lines intersect, transfers made from one line to another within 20 minutes will not involve any extra cost, although it is an "out-of-station" transfer point, TRTC said.

The same applies to transfers at Xinpu Station, the company said, adding that passengers using single-journey tokens must exit through a designated gate in order to qualify for the free transfer.

So far, only the Zhong Huan Section (central circle) of the Central Line has been completed, and there are three remaining sections to be built.

Since Jan. 31, more than 1 million passengers have traveled on the Circular Line, according to the TRCT.