Taiwan

Taichung

The hub of central Taiwan. Rail here means a single metro line, so most journeys fall to the city buses.

YouBike 2.0

Two ways in. With a Taiwanese mobile number you join as a member and the city subsidy makes the first 30 minutes on a 2.0 free. Without one, use Single Rental in the app: card only, no subsidy, NT$3,000 held per hire.

Updated 10 days ago

How to ride

  1. 1
    No local number means Single Rental
    Install the official YouBike app, choose Single Rental, and register a credit card and your email address.
  2. 2
    Take out the free injury cover first
    The operator says nobody can hire without the free public bicycle injury cover, and Single Rental takes it out in the app only.
  3. 3
    Press Start Scan on the bike, then unlock
    A reversed saddle marks a broken bike. Press "Start Scan", scan the QR in the app, then pull the bike out with both hands.
  4. 4
    To rent with a stored-value card, join first
    Tapping to hire is for members only, and joining needs a Taiwanese mobile number and an ID or passport number.
  5. 5
    Ride the right-hand edge of the road
    Slow vehicles ride the right-hand edge. Pavements are off limits unless a sign opens one to bikes, where walkers come first.
  6. 6
    Dock it and confirm the return
    Line the wheel up and push the lock in. A scan hire ends at the success message; a card hire needs one more tap.

Fares

Single fares2

YouBike 2.0 (up to 4 hours, per 30 min)
Members' first 30 min free on the city subsidy; not Single Rental. Same-stand re-hire waits 15 min.
10 TWD ≈ $0.3
YouBike 2.0E pedal-assist (up to 2 hours, per 30 min)
Members get a 10-dollar city subsidy on the first 30 minutes; past two hours it is 40 per 30 minutes
20 TWD ≈ $0.6

Add-ons & fees1

YouBike 2.0 (4-8 hours, per 30 min)
Past eight hours it is 40 per 30 minutes, and part of a block counts as a whole one
20 TWD ≈ $0.6

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 18, 2026

The orange bike in front is the pedal-assist 2.0E; the yellow ones behind are 2.0s, sharing the same posts Taken Jul 2022 © Andy Sou・CC BY-SA 4.0

Payment

Tap to ride
Only a registered stored-value card unlocks a bike by tapping
Phone wallet
VISAMastercardJCB銀聯DiscoverDinersAmex
Registered in the app and billed later, with a 3,000-dollar hold
IC card
icash2.0 does not appear among the cards the operator lets you register
At the gates: Press "Start Card" on the panel, then tap a registered EasyCard or iPASS
App tickets
YouBike 微笑單車
In the wallet: Registering, unlocking and paying all happen inside the official app
Cash
There is no counter or machine that hires a bike for cash

Quick facts

Hours
24 hours
Fares from
10 TWD+

Heads-up

  • Single Rental puts a hold on your credit card each time

    Single Rental places an NT$3,000 authorisation hold on your credit card each time. The authorisation runs for 120 hours and the amount is released once the bike is returned normally, but when it actually clears depends on your card issuer - so use a card with headroom.

  • You cannot re-hire at the same stand straight away

    After you return a bike, the same stand will not hand you another one for 15 minutes. That rules out chaining free or subsidised first half-hours by docking and hiring again on the spot - walk to a different stand if you would rather not wait.

  • No riding on pavements or arcades unless a sign allows it

    A bicycle is a "slow vehicle" in Taiwanese law, so it may not be ridden on an arcade walkway or a pavement unless a sign or marking opens that stretch to bikes - and even there pedestrians have priority. Riding where it is not allowed carries a fine of 300 to 1,200 dollars.

  • Taking an e-scooter onto the road is an offence here

    E-scooters are "personal mobility devices" in Taiwanese law and may only be ridden on the road where the city has issued rules on specification, routes, hours and speed. Taichung has issued none, and no share operator is on the city's permit list, so riding your own on the street exposes you to a fine of 1,200-3,600 dollars and an order to stop.

Timetable

Operating hours 24 hours
Typical duration A tool for the kilometre or two past the station - best on trips that finish inside the first 30 minutes
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka