Do you know which bus route in Taiwan is the most popular? New figures show that one bus route in greater Taipei served a staggering 15 million journeys last year. It would seem that the 307 is the king of buses. Its nearest rival lags way behind. But what is so irresistible about this route? And where does its popularity fit in with wider public transportation trends? It’s time for the lowdown on Taipei’s buses.
It’s mid-afternoon, not rush hour. But the 307, run by Taipei Bus Corporation, is busy with passengers. The Greater Taipei bus network is broad, and has many frequent lines. But new statistics have provoked debate.
Chen Yao-chi
FTV reporter
The route of this 307 bus is 49 kilometers long. It runs from New Taipei into central Taipei City. That’s why, for several years in a row, it’s been the highest-earning bus on the network.
Figures from Taipei City Public Transportation Office show that in 2023, the bus route that served the largest number of single journeys was the 307. More than 15 million journeys were made on the route in 2023, earning the operator NT$350 million. It’s the only bus in Taiwan that served more than 10 million journeys that year.
307 bus passenger
It stops at the MRT station, and there are lots of commuters. They think, “If I’m living a bit far from the MRT, I have to walk there. But I can take this bus to the station and it’s more convenient.”
Luo Yuan-kai
Taipei Bus Company Minsheng Station
The main route of the 307 is from Banqiao, Zhonghe, to Wanhua, and then to Songshan. It serves many students and commuters. It also passes by shopping centers and the Taipei Arena. Sometimes there are huge numbers of passengers when there are special events. Right now, on an average weekday rush hour, the bus comes every three to five minutes.
There are currently 59 vehicles running the 307 route. More than half have already been converted to electric. Since the pandemic, overall bus ridership levels in Taipei have been slowly returning to their previous norm.
Voice of Kuo Chien-chen
Taipei City Public Transportation Office head
We still haven’t recovered the number of passengers that we had before the pandemic. We’re at about 90% of pre-pandemic levels.
Taipei City Public Transportation Office continues to add new routes to the network. With help from the Executive Yuan’s TPASS monthly commuter ticket, officials hope that ridership and turnover will eventually return to their former glories, and the public will also get better service.
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