The Kaohsiung City government has decided to take over the business of the public bicycle rental system, which is under the BOT model, after it suffered from serious deficit over the past two years. To increase the use of rental bicycles, the city government has released 500 cards for citizens to ride for 6 hours for free.

Still even with the promotional discounts, the number of people applying for the cards is still lower than expected.

Citizens are clutching documents to apply for these cards, because beginning in May, those holding these cards will get 1 free hour of riding bicycles and the card can also en

The bicycle rental program has been implemented for 2 years and has attracted a lot of tourists but hasn't had much of an impact on Kaohsiung citizens.

This promotional program hopes to change that.

Also, the original company commissioned to run the program has experienced losses and has withdrawn from the business with the city government taking over.

The first action the government took was to reposition itself, offering 500 special cards for those to receive discounts for using these bikes.

The response has not been enthusiastic as some people believe that Kaohsiung's public transportation system encounters losses in many areas, from the MRT to buses and bicycles.

They hope the government can ensure better quality as well as improve utilization and stop wasting tax payer's money.

The city said that in the future, it hopes to merge the program with MRT cards, so that those who do not have a car or bike can find transportation more convenient.