Taiwan
Kaohsiung
A port city in southern Taiwan. The light rail circles the city centre, and the MRT runs straight to the airport.
Kaohsiung City Bus (高雄市區公車)
Updated on August 20, 2026
How to ride
- 1Get an IC card firstIC cards such as iPASS are sold at the four big convenience-store chains and at MRT station service desks, with no ID needed.
- 2Keep the balance above the base fareIf the balance is below the base fare the reader refuses the tap, and cash is the only way on.
- 3Tap the on-board reader as you boardTap as soon as you are on. If you pay cash, no change is given, so bring coins.
- 4Tap again when you get offTap again on the way out to settle the fare - forget, and an IC card locks.
- 5An IC card clears on the next rideBoard another city bus and it clears on board with a 特許扣款 announcement; with a ride code it comes off your account later.
- 6The route number tells you the fare systemFour-digit intercity routes and E-numbered expressway routes have their own base fares and per-km add-ons.
Fares
Single fares4
Passes & multi-ride2
Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026
Payment
Tap to ride 
IC card 
App tickets 
QR ticketing 
Paper tickets 
Cash Quick facts
Fares
MeN Go 交通效期票Unlimited city buses and intercity coaches; the double-decker is excluded
Daily fare capNo daily cap; the two-stage daily ceiling was scrapped in 2024
Transfer discounts（Limited）Only the two-way NT$5 YouBike 2.0 transfer, and only with iPASS
Facilities
Lifts (step-free)（Limited）Thirty routes designated by the Transportation Bureau run accessible low-floor buses with no booking needed. On other routes, phone the operator 2-7 days ahead if you want to pin down an hour-long window; for today or tomorrow you cannot pick a time, but the operator will tell you which trips run a low-floor bus. A handful of routes cannot be served at all because of the terrain. Booking lines are open weekdays 08:00-17:00.
Rules
Smoking（Banned）Public transport is smoke-free under the national tobacco act
Pets（Limited）Dogs ride on the floor only on designated trips; otherwise pets go in a carrier
Fare evasion fine（Banned）Missing the tap-off costs NT$15 plus that ride's fare; an IC card also locks
Apps & info
Journey planner app (Google Maps)Good for route numbers and stops, but it will not tell you how many stages you are paying for
English signage（Unverified）Nothing official states whether stops and on-board displays carry English
Heads-up
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A locked IC card clears itself on your next Kaohsiung bus
It is the IC card that locks. A locked card still works on the Kaohsiung MRT, but the Transportation Bureau's current notice - the version in force from July 1, 2026 - warns it may stop working on buses and intercity coaches in other cities. It clears itself on the next Kaohsiung city bus you board, and the reader announces 特許扣款 as it does so.
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A QR ride locks nothing; the fare is deducted afterwards
Ride with a QR code and the account does not lock. If you scan on but not off, the back office reconciles the trip after the run, takes NT$15 plus the base-mileage fare from your account and notifies you in the app. The 特許扣款 announcement on your next bus is the IC-card path, not this one.
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Double-deckers need a booking and enough passengers to run
The double-decker sightseeing buses (Sizihwan and New Bay lines) are not a turn-up-and-ride service. They run only on weekends and Taiwanese public holidays, booking by phone is compulsory at least seven working days ahead, and a trip departs only if at least five passengers have booked. Fares are charged per trip; the old unlimited-ride option has been withdrawn.
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Four-digit routes are coaches with a different fare basis
Not every bus charges the same way. Plain-numbered city routes, trunk routes and MRT feeders go by stage, but four-digit routes are intercity coaches with a higher base fare and a per-kilometre add-on beyond 8 km.
Timetable
Editor Naotaka