TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of passengers on Taipei’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system rose 10 percent on the morning of the eased COVID-19 restrictions compared to the same period last week, reports said Tuesday (July 13).
While the government has extended Level 3 restrictions to July 26, some sites, such as movie theaters, fitness clubs, and museums were allowed to reopen for business Tuesday.
Between 6 and 9 a.m., a total of 186,000 people took an MRT train, compared to 167,000 during the same hours July 6, CNA reported.
However, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) pointed out that before the restrictions, on May 11, 448,000 passengers would have traveled by MRT during the same window. Tuesday’s figure amounts to a drop of about 60 percent, according to TRTC data.
The company said more monitoring is necessary before a trend can be discerned this week. Passengers are asked to travel outside of peak hours and to board less crowded cars while respecting the mask-wearing rule.