Taichung City Bus (Chinese: 臺中市市區公車; pinyin: Táizhōng Shì Shìqūgōngchē or so called Chinese: 臺中市公車; pinyin: Táizhōng Shì Gōngchē) is managed by the Transportation Bureau, Taichung City Government in Taichung City, Taiwan. This includes bus routes 1–989 which are operated by different bus companies. The main part of the network provides bus service in downtown area, some other routes connect different districts, and the others serve residents in rural or remote area. There are some 210 routes to date.
The fares are calculated by mileage per ride. The basic fare is NT$20 for 10 km, and the extended fare is NT$2.431*(1+5% tax included) per km and round to the nearest integer.
From 1 June 2011 to 30 June 2015, taking buses whose route numbers are under 300 with any of four sorts of electronic tickets (including EasyCard (悠遊卡), I Pass (高捷一卡通) and Taiwan Easy Go Senior Card(台灣通敬老愛心卡), could benefit from a free ride below 8 kilometers. From July 1, 2015, the same benefit extended from 8 km to 10 km, and the range of route numbers are no longer under 300.
Taichung Bus was established in 1958, commissioned by the Taichung Municipal Government to operate high capacity bus services. Renyou Bus was established in 1976 and became the second bus operator of the network. For some 25 years, the network are run by only these two companies. In order to widen the bus service network, the City Government let more bus companies operate since 2002. The number of operators have come to 16 since May 2016.
1 January 1958: The first Taichung City Bus operator, Taichung Bus was established.18 February 1958: Taichung City Bus started to operate.31 December 1976: Renyou Bus was established and joined the network.1 August 2003: All buses started to charge by the sections divided, and each section cost NT$13.15 October 2003: Taichung Bus Company experienced a 22-day employers' strike.4 August 2004: Taichung E card system was launched.16 August 2004: Taichung E card applies to routes of Taichung City Bus.17 May 2005: Taichung E Cards are issued to students residing in Taichung City, from Grade 4 Elementary to senior classes.1 June 2005: All buses started to charge by the mileage instead of the sections. Taichung E Card holders were offered free rides on downtown buses for one month.1 July 2005: Taichung E Card availability extend to 10 operators.1 June 2011: Each operators updated the electronic ticket sensors to be available for four sorts of cards(including EasyCard (悠遊卡), Taiwan Easy Go (台灣通, formerly Taichung E Card), I Pass (高捷一卡通), and ETC Card (遠東E通卡)). Passengers riding Taichung City Bus with one of those could benefit from a free ride below 8 kilometers each time.8 July 2015: A free ride below 8 kilometers was extended to 10 kilometers.1 July 2016: Easy Card, I Pass and Taiwan Easy Go Senior Card(台灣通敬老愛心卡) remained in service. Taiwan Easy Go and ETC card went out of service.1 August 2002: Phase 1 of the high capacity bus (now route 71, 72, 73, 75, 77 and 79) was launched.1 February 2004: Phase 2 of the high capacity bus (now route 33, 60, 68, 70, 81 and 89) was launched.20 March 2004: Route 5, part of phase 2, started operating.23 August 2004: Route 83 started operating.1 November 2004: Route 66, part of phase 2, started operating.21 November 2005: As Taiwan High Speed Rail begin operating, Route 69 and 85 started operating.2009~2010
1 January 2009: Route 99 started operating.10 March 2009: Route 18 started operating.18 May 2009: Route 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 (seven routes of Taichung Transit Jet bus or TTJ bus) and 67 started operating.1 January 2010: Route 58 started operating.1 July 2010: Route 28 started operating.2011~2012
1 January 2011: Route 50 and 215 started operating.14 February 2011: Route 9, 83, and 88 each added a Sub-route.1 June 2011: Route 59 and 277 started operating.28 June 2011: Route 115 started operating.29 August 2011: Route 90, 91, 92, 93 and 235 started operating.1 November 2011: Route 7 started operating.1 December 2011: Route 228 started operating.1 July 2012: Route 63 started operating.1 August 2012: Route Blue 1 (BL1), the first shuttle bus for BRT Blue Line, started operating.30 August 2012: Route 3 started operating.3 September 2012: Route 98 started operating.1 October 2012: Route 127 started operating.31 October 2012: Route 199 started operating.27 December 2012: Route 95 started operating.2013~2014
1 January 2013: Route 100 added a Sub-route.1 February 2013: Route 23 started operating. Route 210 added a Sub-route.1 April 2013: Route 14 added a Sub-route.10 April 2013: Route 150 and 162 started operating.1 July 2013: Route 151, 153 and Sub-route of 153 started operating.1 August 2013: Route 155 started operating.30 August 2013: Route 17, 152 and 154 started operating.29 November 2013: Route 12 started operating.1 January 2014: Route 151 added a Sub-route.10 February 2014: Route 97 started operating.1 March 2014: Route 155 added a Sub-route.28 March 2014: Route 156 started operating.26 June 2014: Route Blue 2 (BL2), started operating.1 July 2014: Route 95 added a Sub-route. Route 214 started operating.15 July 2014: Route 111 started operating.20 July 2014: Route 287 started operating.28 July 2014: BL3, BL5, BL6, BL7, BL9, BL10, BL11, BL12, BL13 started operating.1 August 2014: Route 283 started operating.1 September 2014: Route 39 and 157 started operating.1 October 2014: Route 133 started operating.1 November 2014: Route 123 started operating.2015~2016
15 January 2015: Route 281 added a Sub-route.15 June 2015: Route 32 started operating.1 August 2015: Route 658 started operating.16 October 2015: Route 616 and 617 started operating.1 March 2016: Route 500, 700 and 900 started operating.13 May 2016: Route 659 started operating.2 June 2016: Route 284 started operating.27 June 2016: Route 989 started operating.29 August 2016: Route 821 started operating.1 November 2016: Route 200 which runs on a new path started operating.1 December 2016: Route 85 which runs on a totally different path started operating.Route combination and route number altering
1 September 2005: Route 105 and 145 run by Taichung Bus Company was combined and renumbered Route 9.1 July 2008: Route 102 was renumbered Route 82.1 May 2011: The Sub-routes of Route 88 and 9 were renumbered Route 57 and 6.1 September 2011: Shuttle bus of Route 83 was renumbered Route 86, and the Sub-route of Route 83 was renumbered Route 87.28 November 2011: Highway bus line 6115 was combined to City Bus Route 115.1 February 2013: Route 173 and 172 were combined to be Route 172.30 August 2013: Route 282 and Route 283 were combined to be Route 282.1 December 2015: Route 175, 176 and 177 were combined to be Route 677.1 August 2016: Route 16, 21 and 31 were combined to be Route 21.1 November 2016: Route 200 was renumbered Route 771.Route cancellation and restoration
26 June 2006: Route 34 of Taichung Bus and Roue 6, 10, and 38 of Renyou Bus ended operating.1 January 2007: Route 2, 11, 42 and 89 of Renyou Bus ended operating.1 May 2007: Route 89 were restored by Renyou Bus.10 January 2008: Route 61 of Renyou Bus ended operating.1 July 2008: Route 61 were restored by Ubus.1 November 2008: Taichung Bus suspended Route 66. Renyou Bus ran the route temporarily, and Taichung Bus later restored it.10 November 2008: Route 103, 108, and 136 of Taichung Bus ended operating.1 January 2010: Route 57 was cancelled.5 December 2011: Route 22 of Renyou Bus were cancelled.16 October 2013: Route 291 was cancelled.1 July 2014: Sub-route of Route 90 and Route 259, 268 were cancelled.28 July 2014: Route 87, 106, 146 and 147 were cancelled.1 September 2014: Route 221, 230, 231 were cancelled.1 April 2015: Route 115 was cancelled.1 February 2016: Route 256 and 257 were cancelled.23 August 2004: Route 83 provided free rides for nine days.1 June 2005: Taichung E Card holders were offered free rides on all routes of Taichung City Bus for one month.21 November 2005: Route 69 and 85 provided free rides for 14 days.1 July 2008: Route 61 provided free rides for a week.18 May 2009: Route 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57 did not charge till 31 December 2009.1 January 2010: Route 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58 did not charge for a whole year.29 August 2011: Route 90, 91, 92 and 93 did not charge.29 September 2012: Route 127 provided free rides for two days before official launch.8 July 2013: Route 90, 91, 92 and 93 started to charge.1 August 2013: Route 155 provided free rides for four days.30 August 2013: Route 152 and 154 each provided free rides for three days.29 November 2013: Route 12 rovided free rides for a week.28 March 2014: Route 156 provided free rides for four days.24 June 2014: Route 214 provided free rides for a week before official launch.26 June 2014: Route Blue 2 provided free rides for a week.25 July 2014: Route 283 provided free rides for a week before official launch.
