After ten years, the Kaohsiung light rail is nearing completion and will complete a full circle by the end of the year. This year, it is scheduled to begin trial operation after successfully passing the final inspection and testing, and obtaining the operating permit. The current fee collection method will be replaced with a fee calculation based on mileage. To commemorate the completion of the full-circle light rail, the trial operation will be free of charge, with no payment deducted when swiping cards to access the platform.

The full-circle light rail fare plan, upon review and approval by the Kaohsiung City Government Rapid Transit Fare Canvass Committee on October 12, 2023, includes a starting fare of NT$20, a basic mileage of 5km, an additional NT$5 per two kilometers for a 5km onward journey, and a distance exceeding 9km will be charged the maximum of NT$35. That is, future fare collection ranges of NT$20, NT$25, NT$30, and NT$35 are calculated based on various mileages.

The light rail dispatch interval during the initial phase of full-circle light rail operations is 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes during off-peak hours. At the moment, the light rail collects fares based on the number of card swipes (NT$30 if a paper ticket is purchased). A discounted ticket price of NT$10 is available to those who ride the light rail using electronic tickets or a ride code. The trial operation period will end after the Lantern Festival holidays next year, once the full-circle light rail is completed. Official fare collection by mileage will begin on Monday, February 26, 2024. The preferential offer access to entire-route platforms via card-swipe without payment reduction during the period of trial operation. This aids in the collection of passenger riding information and feedback, which will be used to optimize the mode of light rail operation, as well as expanding the scope to attract tourists from other locations to experience rides before the Lunar New Year holidays, thereby achieving city marketing effectiveness.

Currently, light rail card readers are installed in the center of the platform and trains. It is difficult for passengers to proceed to a ticket verification machine to swipe their cards and pay when there are more passengers waiting on the platform or when the train cabins are crowded. To address this issue, after the full-circle light rail is completed in the future, ticket verification machines at the center of the platform and inside trains will be relocated to the platform’s entrance. It works on the same principle as MRT gates, where cards must be swiped before entering and exiting a station. This will improve the efficiency with which the public enters and exits trains. Passengers will become accustomed to using their cards to access the light rail platform through a trial operation event held after the full-circle light rail is completed. Simultaneously, the ticket inspection mechanism is supplemented on a regular basis to strengthen advocacy and anticipate the public’s high willingness to ride the full-circle light rail after it is completed to personally experience Kaohsiung City’s aesthetic.