Taipei City Government

To encourage green transportation and maximize the use of limited resources, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that YouBike users will be charged NT$5 for the first 30 minutes of use starting April 1, 2015.
According to DOT, the current scheme of offering free rental for the first 30 minutes was implemented in December of 2012. The policy received positive feedbacks from residents, resulting in an average of 12 rentals per bicycle per day. The average daily ridership of YouBike is also approaching 70,000.
A telephone survey targeting citizens of Taipei indicated that over 70-percent of the respondents expressed support for a rental fee of NT$5 for the first 30 minutes of rental. The agency predicts that the revised rental scheme will lower the average daily rental rate per vehicle to 8 rentals, but this will ensure higher availability of the bicycles for those requiring the service.
In the interest of boosting ridership, New Taipei City Government will continue providing free rental for the first 30 minutes. The revised rental scheme of charging NT$5 for the first 30 minutes will apply only to those hiring YouBikes at rental stations located in Taipei City.
The rental rate for durations beyond 30 minutes will remain unchanged for both municipalities.
YouBike rental services will be temporarily suspended in both Taipei City and New Taipei City between midnight and 5 AM on April 1 for system updates. The only service available during this period will be bike returns.
Those hiring a bicycle on March 31 (or earlier) and returning after midnight, April 1 will be charged NT$5 upon return by the updated system. In this case, they can apply for refund of the NT$5 at YouBike service centers before May 1, 2015. The city government apologizes for this inconvenience.