Announcement unit: Public Transportation & Rapid Transit System Office / Contact number: 04-22289111 extension 61103 / Announcement date: 2023-10-04

There are currently nearly 7000 bus stop signs in Taichung City. A route map stands on the street, resilient in the face of wind, rain, and sun, remaining steadfast in its position. The behind-the-scenes heroes are the stop sign maintainers, who go up and down the mountain and sea and do not fear distance in maintaining the cleanliness of the stop signs and the correct information about the road lines. It has a small role but is essential, from cleaning stop signs, replacing road maps and announcements, and relocating and repairing stations. Even recording voice broadcasting systems are in real people with emotional warmth. They ensure that every public waiting at a bus stop can smoothly board the bus to reach their destination.

"After receiving the stop signs that need maintaining in Guguan and Lishan in Heping District, it will take us two days to go back and forth for only one stop sign." Deng-Kai Chang, who has been maintaining the bus stop sign in Taichung City for more than ten years, said that no matter where the stop sign is, it is necessary to reach the mission of climbing over the hills by setting out with tools like working ladders, rags, and cleaning liquid. Their maintenance work includes removing advertisements, graffiti, collapse, or skew on the bus stop sign and guarding the appearance of the bus stop body to prevent illegal advertisements from hitchhiking so that the bus stop sign can serve passengers with a brand-new look. Taichung Bus United Management Committee pointed out that with the increase in bus routes, bus stop signs are also bus traffic landmarks. If they adjust the course and frequency, they will update the contents of the stop sign synchronously. The design of bus stop signs in Taichung is in step with the times, improving passenger identification and inquiry. According to the destination of passengers when they take the bus, the font should be enlarged as much as possible so that they can quickly find the information on the bus route map.
Director of the Transportation Bureau, Chao-Fu Yeh, said that buses in Taichung City extend in all directions, areas with significant traffic flow, and bus stops are densely packed. There are currently 6,897 stop signs in the city. The bureau divides the signboards into new traditional signboards without advertisements and collective signboards with large and small types. There are also unique stop signs that adjust the route display method according to the route when the on-site environment is unsuitable for setting up multiple stop signs. The public can go to the "Taichung Bus APP" to check the bus routes run by various bus operators in Taichung City. The bus stops also witness the progress of transportation. Every newly added course is a service the city government provides deep into the local area. After the transportation bureau surveyed the distance between the stops and considered whether the space for bus passengers to get on and off was safe, the stop sign maintainers immediately started setting up stop sign poles and constructing stop signs. During the construction process, many local residents frequently expressed their concern and enthusiasm, a clear testament to their anticipation of the buses' arrival.
Director Yeh emphasized that stop sign maintainers have a broad range of responsibilities, including cleaning station signs, updating route maps, mapping announcements, relocating stops, and performing necessary repairs. The voice announcement system recording at each bus stop also considers the passengers' needs. Station name announcements are in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, English, and other languages. Real people also record the bus voice announcements in Taichung City and announce the stop names to add emotional warmth. Guarding stop signs outdoors for a long time, the maintainers also have a proper understanding of the growth and decline of bus passengers. They said that Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu promoted the Double Ten bus discount only for citizens, plus the Transportation Bureau sold the cheapest transportation tickets in the country to increase the number of bus passengers significantly. Buses provide convenient transportation. Many people who do not usually take buses automatically join the ranks of bus users after getting used to the routes and frequency.
Director Yeh explained that Taichung City is a vast city with numerous bus routes and stops. The transportation bureau has developed a repair operation for abnormal stop signs to compensate for the limited inspection labor force. He invited the public to guard bus stops and create a high-quality waiting environment. Suppose people find the bus stop sign is damaged, dumped, lost, or vandalized. Besides, suppose someone graffitied the stop sign or the route is missing or damaged. In that case, they can use the "Taichung Bus" App or the "Taichung City Real-time Bus Dynamic System" webpage (http://citybus.taichung.gov.tw/ebus) "Stop sign (bus shelter) repair report" function helps report information or provide photos. The transportation bureau will promptly repair the damaged stop sign to restore it to its original appearance after receiving the report.