TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei started offering the first 30 minutes of YouBike rental for free on Saturday, dramatically increasing usage.

The number of riders reached more than 110,000 on the first day of the program, a 72% increase from the previous Saturday (Feb. 22). It was also the first time ridership surpassed 100,000 since the COVID pandemic, per UDN.

Surging demand, however, may impact the availability of YouBikes for those who depend upon them to commute to school or work. Lee Ker-tsung (李克聰), a transportation expert with the Consumers’ Foundation, warned those relying on Youbikes for the “last mile” may be affected.

Instead of offering free rides to everyone, Lee suggested bundling free riders as part of a transfer from other forms of public transportation. Lee said such a program would better manage public access to limited YouBike resources.

Lee also warned that YouBike’s free ridership program may encourage those who otherwise walk or take the bus to work, dramatically increasing demand and making the management and flow of bikes even more important as popular locations may experience a shortage. This could, in turn, affect the overall riding experience.

Cheng Yung-hsiang (鄭永祥), a professor at the Department of Transportation at National Cheng Kung University, said the effectiveness of the free ride policy should focus on the daily turnover and whether the station configuration meets demand. He said increased ridership could lead to an imbalance in bike supply and demand in some areas, though such data could be used for planning future stations.

Cheng said the YouBike station layout and service quality should be continuously reviewed to avoid negatively affecting user experience. "If it is often difficult to borrow or return a YouBike at popular locations, it means service needs to be improved," said Cheng.

Cheng said that in addition to adding bikes and stations, the city government should use big data to analyze rental conditions at different times and add replenishment mechanisms or adjust uneven bicycle flow. He added the city should review street and traffic congestion, which could discourage riders even if YouBikes are free.