The Youbike system is about to be launched in Xinpu Township! Through working with the Xinpu Township Office, the Hsinchu County Government will be setting up new Youbike stations in Xinpu Township. These new stations will provide the town’s residents with bike-sharing services for all their work and school commutes. Today (Jan. 15), Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke, Township Mayor Chen Ying-lou, and others personally inspected the new Youbike station sites in Xinpu County. The magistrate announced that there will be stations set up at the Township office, the Yi-min Temple, and near the St. Aloysius Technical School as well as other locations.
Magistrate Yang said that today, here in front of the Township Office, he was happy to announce to all County residents that Youbike is officially coming to Xinpu. He expected bidding to begin in March, and the system to go into service in June. Since Hsinchu County Government introduced Youbike 2.0 services in Hsinchu starting in 2022, the services have won widespread praise. There are currently 102 stations and 790 bikes available in Zhubei City, Zhudong Township, Xinfeng Township, and Hukou Township. As of the end of 2023, 1.29 million Youbike rides have been taken. This is a good policy and infrastructure, because it cuts carbon emissions; Magistrate Yang said he absolutely supports the system for that reason. Especially now that the Zhubei residential and commercial areas have expanded to reach Xinpu Township, the addition of Youbikes will improve public transport in Xinpu. A Happiness Bus service is also in planning for Xinpu, which will make living in the township better and better.
Tai Chih-chun, head of Hsinchu County Government’s Transportation and Tourism Department, explained that an expert team had evaluated Xinpu Township. The teams findings showed that the township meets all requirements – from urban planning aspects such as population density, population structure, and educational institutions, to public facilities and industry economy – for placing Youbike stations. As there is a high potential demand for development, the Hsinchu County Government began working in earnest with the Xinpu Township Office. The township office put together a budget that would install 10 stations, 90 Youbike 2.0 bicycles, and 10 electric Youbike 2.0E bicycles (e-bikes), for a cost of NT$24.75 million. Youbike stations are preliminarily planned for the Xinpu Township Office; local tourist spots such as the Yimin Temple; education institutions such as the St. Aloysius Technical School; the Zhongzheng Road commercial area; and residential areas in redeveloped areas. This will make it easier for more people to use green transport, and help build a Net-Zero city.
A Transportation and Tourism Department official also mentioned that Zhubei City, Zhudong Township, Xinfeng Township, and Hukou Township introduced Youbikes in 2022; and that in this time, Zhubei City has shown the highest rental rates (with an turnover rate of 5.84 uses per bike per day), and the four areas have an average inventory turnover rate of 4 per day. For these reasons, residents of Zhubei City’s western districts have expressed a wish for more rental stations. Hsinchu County Government therefore began the process of purchasing more bikes and installing new stations. With thanks for Zhubei City Office’s budget support of NT$80 million, in the first half of 2024, Zhubei City will be installing another 45 new bike rental locations and 390 electric Youbike 2.0 bicycles. Priority for station placement will be the western districts of Zhubei City, with cross-reference to local bus routes. The County Government will also be examining the extant Youbike stations in Zhubei City’s eastern districts and making adjustments to make the system even better.
Today’s inspection of Youbike stations was completed by Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke; Xinpu Township Mayor Chen Ying-lou; County Councilors Fan Yueh-fu and Lu Wan-ting; Township Representative Chief Wang Tseng-chi; and many township representatives, neighborhood leaders, and community members.