Taiwan Railway to end 75% discount for children with disabilities

Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Taiwan Railway Corp. (TRC) has confirmed it will end special discount tickets for children with disabilities on June 23 as part of its new fare policy.

A TRC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CNA Saturday the company is eliminating the "Love Children Ticket" mainly because children already enjoy discounts.

The ticket currently provides a 75 percent discount for children aged 6 to 12 who hold a Disability Identification Card.

According to TRC, children will still be eligible to purchase half-price tickets, adding that while it previously absorbed the costs of the additional discount, future continuation of the program would require government funding.

Under the TRC Passenger Transportation Contract, passengers eligible for multiple discounts may only apply one at a time, unless otherwise specified.

"Many parents aren't aware of this ticket," said Chou Shu-ching (周淑菁) of the Disabled Children's Rights and Advocacy Association, who noted that she only learned about the 75 percent discount after other parents told her.

Based on a survey she conducted Saturday, Chou said around 30 parents reported using the special ticket at least three times a week, primarily for medical and rehabilitation appointments.

She added that usage of the Love Children Ticket has declined from over 100,000 people to around 30,000 since its introduction, suggesting that TRC's financial burden should be decreasing.

Given this trend, Chou called for the discount program to be maintained to help reduce the financial strain on families raising children with disabilities.