Taiwan Money Card-Shop all you want ! / Taiwan Money Card 消費一卡通
◎Text by Kuan-Chun Judy Chen ◎Photos by Chia-Tse Kao
The Transportation Bureau of Kaohsiung announced the launch of TM Card, an abbreviation for Taiwan Money Card. Integrated with Master Card's PayPass Platform Technology, TM Card will bring citizens of the seven counties and cities in the south combined functions in transportation and shopping.
Formally hitting the road on June 6, TM Card is the first from around the globe which has combined both "contact" and "contactless" technology to create a multi-functional payment card. From now on, with a TM Card, citizens will get discounts on bus rides and parking in the seven counties and cities of the south and experience an easy "contactless" paying method. Meanwhile, cardholders can shop with TM Card in convenient stores, fast food stores, gas stations, and supermarkets which carry the Mondex logo. Installed with the worldwide recognized PayPass "contactless" Platform Technology, TM Card could be used in over 51,000 PayPass stores worldwide.
Director of the Transportation Bureau, Wang Kuo-Tsai, said that the launch of TM Card will be beneficial to all. It will be a satisfying tool for citizens. For transportation service providers, this electronic ticket system can prevent possible forgery and improve operating efficiency. For banking business, it would promote the use of complex chip cards and encourage people to use it as an e-purse. For the government, it is a chance to foster the e-government services. In addition, Director Wang also said that, as Kaohsiung City government is devoting itself to host the World Games 2009, TM card will be a convenient payment mechanism for transportation and shopping for both the athletes and visitors.
In order to encourage citizens to use the public transportation, the Transportation Bureau also introduced various discounts for TM Card holders:
* 50% off on bus transfers
* 50% off when taking the 68 bus routes of Kaohsiung City Bus, or #60, #20 and #24 of Kaohsiung County Bus, then transfer within 2 hours
* 50% off after the second section on any multi-section bus route
Therefore, 2 bus rides cost 24 NTD, but using the TM Card, citizens now only have to pay 18 NTD.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Bureau also planned three Free Bus Routes, running from June 15:
Route 1: Rueifong - Cianjhen Export Processing Zone
Route 2: THSR Zuoying Station - Gushan Ferry Station
Route 3: Nanzih Station - Nanzih Export Processing Zone - National University of Kaohsiung
Route 1 and 2 will run every 10 to 15 minutes during the peak hours in the mornings and the evenings, so that employees working in the Processing Zone will be able to use the free bus as a commuting option. This method could improve traffic jams and reduce the pollution caused by personal vehicles. The schedule of Route 3 will be in sync with THSR arrival times, providing 58 free buses everyday, running from the THSR Zuoying Station, Lotus Pond, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Urban Spotlight, Love River, and Former British Consulate at Dagou.
◎文／李成龍 ◎攝影／高嘉澤
由高雄市政府交通局主導建置的Taiwan Money Card(TM卡)結合了萬事達卡PayPass 全球共通科技平台技術，讓南部七縣市民眾享受到整合交通與生活消費的功能。
TM卡於6月6日正式運轉，是全球首張結合接觸與非接觸式雙介面，整合交通與生活消費多功能支付性工具，今後民眾只要持有TM卡，在南部七縣市（高雄市、高雄縣、嘉義縣、嘉義市、台南市、台南縣及屏東縣）即可享有搭乘市區公車、區域客運、還有停車場、自動收費等服務，並經由非接觸感應方式完成交易；生活消費部分、持卡人可以到便利商店、速食店、加油站、超市等貼有Mondex商標的商店消費。應用了MasterCard全球共通的PayPass 非接觸式科技平台的TM卡，消費者可在全世界51,000家PayPass 商店使用。
交通局長王國材指出，藉由TM卡的推出，除方便民眾對外的需求外，對運輸業者而言，電子票證系統可防止偽造、減少舞弊，提昇營運績效；對金融業來說，則可進一步擴展複合式晶片卡的運用，並提高民眾使用電子錢包的意願；對政府而言，可推廣電子化政府服務，此外，王局長也進一步表示，屆時藉由TM卡，高雄市正積極籌備『2009年世界運動會』，市府有信心為來自世界各地世運選手與旅客提供整合交通運輸與生活消費的便利支付機制。 為鼓勵民眾多坐公車，交通局也推出國內首次實施，持TM卡享受公車轉乘半價優惠，凡持TM卡刷卡搭乘高雄市市區68條公車路線及高雄客運60路、20路及24路市區公車，２小時內再轉乘公車，就可以享受半價優待；搭乘２段次以上之路線，第２段次以上亦為半價，也就是說民眾原本搭２次公車要付24元，轉車優待後，民眾只要付18元。
此外交通局特別規劃三條免費公車「瑞豐站－前鎮加工區」、「高鐵左營站－鼓山輪渡站」及「楠梓車站－楠梓加工區－高雄大學」自６月15日起實施，楠梓加工出口區與高雄加工出口區２條通勤專線，配合加工出口區員工上、下班時間，上午及下午各３小時的尖峰時段，每隔10至15分鐘發車一次，鼓勵加工出口區員工改以免費公車作為通勤工具，減少上班時間汽機車大量使用造成交通擁擠與環境污染問題。高鐵鼓山渡輪專車則配合高鐵到站時間，全日58班次，由高鐵左營站出發，沿線串聯蓮池潭、美術館、城市光廊、愛河、英國領事館等觀光景點，提供全日免費搭乘。