Parking payments in Taichung now can be made online with discount offers! Due to the coronavirus case surges in Taiwan, the Taichung City Transportation Bureau worked with mobile payment operators, financial institutions and telecommunication companies to off 20% off parking payments made online between June 10th and August 9th. Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen today (the 3rd) called for citizens in Taichung to make parking payments and purchase monthly parking passes online to avoid risks of cluster infection. The public can also save time and protect themselves and others. Director General Yeh Chao-Fu said 20% discounts are provided daily for roadside parking unlike some cities and counties with discounts given only on weekends to reduce frequencies for the public to go out on weekends and increase clustering risks.

The Taichung City Government convened the Taichung Epidemic Control Center's online press conference this afternoon. Mayor said during the pandemic citizens in Taichung shift the transportation habit to driving a car or riding on a scoter. Among them, 80% paid their parking fees over the counter and it increased contacts with others and infection risks. Thus, the Taichung City Government proposed the pandemic prevention and control measure, "to make parking payment online" and "to purchase monthly parking pass online" with discounts to encourage the public to make payment online and to reduce clustering risks over the counter.

Director General Yeh described through a smart phone or a tablet, a user can download any type of mobile payment app (O'Pay, Mochi Payments, Gamapay, PKLOTCORP Pay, LINE Pay Money, JKOPay) and register an account to choose to make the payment for parking fee in Taichung. After registration, the user shall include information of license plate number, car model, and the selected payment method. After parking, the user will receive the reminding message from app and make the payment online easily. The user will not forget to make the payment and can save the handling fees and enjoy 20% discounts.

Additionally, a user can choose his/her financial institutions (about 350 banks, farmers' and fishermen's association banks or cooperative banks) or one of five telecommunication companies (APGT, FET, FETC, Taiwan Mobile, CHT) to auto-debit your bank account and also enjoy a discount of 20% off. Discounts only apply to parking fees made within due date and are not applicable to reminders and violation tickets. The amounts to pay after discounts shall be the nearest integer after being rounded up.

Director General Yeh also mentioned to avoid clustering risks over the counter when purchasing monthly passes, the Bureau continuously promoted online purchases of monthly pass. Purchases for monthly passes of "the following month" are available between 1st to the 20th in the previous month. Buyers can purchase monthly passes for roadside parking up to six month in advance while for the rest public parking lot, purchases for three months in advance are available. Online purchases offer 5% off discount and single purchase for more than three months (including) can enjoy 10% off discount, saving up to NT$360. The public is encourage to purchase online and to reduce frequencies to go out.