Ubike is a public bicycle sharing service offered by the Taipei City Department of Transportation in a Build–operate–transfer (BOT) collaboration with local manufacturer Giant Bicycles, it also called Taiwan Bike Sharing System. It is manage in Public-private partnership. There are service stations in the bike system are available in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Tao-yuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Changhua, and Miaoli.
In 2009, the system initially saw an unexpectedly small number of daily users in the trial district of Xinyi. This prompted the city's Department of Transportation to expand the system along the Taipei Metro lines and into several more districts. The slow initial adoption of Ubike rentals was overcome through adjusting the business model, such as by lowering rates (including making the first 30 minutes free of charge), and increasing ways to open an account. In April 2015, the Taipei Department of Transportation began charging Ubike riders for the first 30 minutes of use.
In Taiwan, air pollution is very severe, mostly caused by scooters and cars. Most of the people drive scooters or cars to work, and it is very dangerous at peak times. Drivers will swerve between cars, and it will have higher possibility to cause accidents. So, the government are promoting the Ubike system, and it is cheaper than you driving a car. Also, it can reduce air pollution. But, it is still dangerous to ride a bike in Taiwan, because cycle-paths are not common yet.
Taiwan should build more bicycle lanes, also they can give more subsidy for people to buy their own bikes, this will reduce air pollution, and it can also be an exercise. Now, there are lot people don't feel safe to drives with scooters, because Taiwan did not do it success yet. If the Ubike system has more success, then they will have a lot of people would ride a bike to school or to work.
An other way, government can sell the unlimited pass for a month, season, or a year. For example, they can make it cheap and each time you ride has a limited time. Also, it can prevent someone wanting to steal the bike, and it will increase the amount of people to ride bikes. Before, people think that riding a bike is very dangerous, so they only ride on the foot path.
In European country, they have a very successful public bike system, so I hope Taiwan can do it very well. It can also reduce air pollution.