Ideal Green City for Biking / 綠色都市 自行車上路
Ideal Green City for Biking
◎Text by Kuan-Chun Chen
◎Photos by Chung-Hui Pao
What was the most popular mode of 2008? Bicycle, of course. You see it everywhere in the city. Devoting itself in building a Green City as usual, Kaohsiung City has been worked tirelessly to promote this environment-friendly and healthy transportation. Therefore, at the beginning of 2009, Kaohsiung City decided to introduce the Public Bike Rental System. Citizens now can rent the bike at one location and return it to a different location. Visitors can also use the same system to enjoy a bike tour around the beautiful Kaohsiung City.
The Public Bike Rental System is a 24-hr automatic rental station. It also provides one-way bike rental service; users can return the bike at a different location. In the future, with the integration of membership card/credit card and the system, citizens can rent a bike simply using their membership card and enjoy transfer discounts. In addition, the exclusive aluminum-alloy bike designed by Merida will not be sold in the market, hoping to reduce the issue of bikes' being stolen and disposed. Twenty Public Bike Rental Stations are to be operational by March 1st and approximately 50 stations will be running by May, offering 4500 bikes for rental.
The Public Bike Rental System provides ental services for both members and non-members. Citizens who would like to become a member will need to register at the staffed stations or sign-up via internet, mail or fax. Citizens can choose to pay the membership of NT$1200 annually, NT$750 for six months, or NT$200 monthly. After receiving the membership card, citizens can rent a bike through the central control panel and enjoy a best-valued gift. For members, the first 30 minutes will be free of charge and the rental fee is 15 dollars per hour. For non-members, 40 dollars is charged for the first hour and 20 dollars every 30 minutes afterwards. Meanwhile, in order to prevent the bike from being stolen, a 2000-dollar deposit will be charged at the time of rental.
It was announced on January 20 , 2009 that City Hall Station and Cultural Center Station will be operational by March 1st. Mayor Chen took time out of her busy schedule to try the system out at the City Hall Station. Mayor Chen says that Kaohsiung's Public Bike Rental Program is the first Metropolitan public bike rental system in Taiwan, completely different from the leisure bike rental at theme parks or small-scale bike rental systems limited to certain land consolidation districts. Kaohsiung's bike rental stations are located along the MRT lines so that citizens can enjoy convenient transfers. In addition, the system will help save time because bikes can be rented at one place and returned to a different location. This is also a major step for Kaohsiung toward the "Green Transportation-friendly City".
Kaohsiung's warm weather and its 150-km bicycle path make bicycles the best transportation for Kaohsiung. With the new MRT system, Kaohsiung now presents a modern "energy-saving" transportation network. In the future, it will definitely attract more people to Kaohsiung and give them the opportunity to enjoy a comfortable bike tour here.
For more information on Kaohsiung City Public Bike, go to http://www.c-bike.com.tw/
綠色都市 自行車上路
◎文／王御風
◎攝影／鮑忠暉
如果要問2008年最夯的交通工具是什麼？莫過於自行車，不論大街小巷，都可以看到自行車的蹤跡。一向積極打造「綠色城市」的高雄市政府，推動這項不浪費地球資源且有益身心的交通工具不遺餘力。在2009年，高雄市政府又獨步全國，率先推出「公共自行車」，讓市民可以利用甲地租、乙地還的公共自行車系統，成為便捷的交通工具；而遊客也可利用此方式，悠閒地騎著自行車，徜徉在美麗的高雄市區，來趟高雄的單車之旅。
這項公共自行車租賃方案之經營管理，採24小時無人、自動租賃站的方式，並提供甲地租車、乙地還車服務便利措施。未來會員卡、信用卡票卡系統整合後，民眾可望持會員卡租賃，並可享有轉乘的優惠。而美利達公司特別為高雄市租賃案所打造的鋁合金自行車，未來也不對外發售，以降低失竊銷贓的問題。預計２月中正式啟用20個公共自行車自動站點，5月時全市將有50個公共自行車自動站點，共計4500輛自行車提供民眾租借。
而公共腳踏車租賃系統所提供的服務，將分為會員及非會員兩種。其中，想要加入會員的民眾，只須前往有服務人員的站點或透過網路、郵寄、傳真申請，費用預計分成一年繳交1200元、半年繳交750元或每月繳交200元等3種方式，取得會員卡後，即可經由中控台借車，並享有超值的贈品。會員每半小時的騎乘租金預計是15元，還享有前半小時免費的優惠。至於非會員的租金，第一個小時40元，之後每半小時20元。而為避免腳踏車失竊，非會員借車時也將收取押金2000元。
從2009年1月20日起，市府站與文化中心站宣示於２月中旬啟動，市長陳菊，也在公務繁忙之餘，特地到市府站試用。陳市長表示，高雄市公共自行車租賃計畫，是全國第一個「都會網絡型」公共自行車租賃系統，與其他縣市封閉式的「遊樂場型」租賃系統或侷限於某個重劃區的「小區域租賃系統」，完全不同。除了有站點遍佈捷運沿線，方便民眾轉乘的優點，同時因為採取「甲地租賃、乙地歸還」，不僅符合節能減碳目標，也讓高雄市朝「綠色交通的友善城市」又向前邁進一大步。
高雄市溫暖的氣候，以及目前已建構廣達150公里的自行車道，自行車是最適合的交通工具。配合捷運，將會讓高雄市呈現全新的「節能、減碳」綠色交通網，也會吸引更多人到高雄來騎自行車。
高雄市公共腳踏車租賃網站 http://www.c-bike.com.tw/