In order to cater to the needs of residents from Xizhou and students of MingDao University (MDU) in traveling to and from THSR Changhua Station, Changhua County Magistrate Ming-ku Wei and staff have created the “[route 8] city bus from Taiwan Railways Tianzhong StationTHSR Changhua StationBeidouChanghua Xizhou Park”. The inauguration ceremony took place on the 8th at the front square of Changhua Xizhou Park, with official operation slated for next Monday (11th). Changhua County Magistrate Ming-ku Wei announced the great news, hoping that the route 8 city bus will make transportation surrounding Tianzhong THSR Changhua Station more convenient, thereby fostering tourism development in southern Changhua.
Route 8 bus joins THSR Changhua Station, Tianzhong Train Station, downtown Beidou, downtown Xizhou, MDU, Changhua Xizhou Park and Tianzhong Cat Village etc., making it an ideal bus route for commuters and tourists.
County Magistrate Wei suggested that after completing 2 bus routes from Lukang and Yuanlin to THSR Changhua Station, the county government has created a new bus route from Xizhou to THSR Changhua Station, and from Changhua Xizhou Park to MDU, Beidou, THSR Changhua Station and Taiwan Railways Tianzhong Station. In total, 6 buses carry passengers to and from their destinations. The county government perceives great importance in public transport, therefore starting from September, 2 additional bus routes from Changhua and Yuanlin to Xitou will be launched. The purpose of creating new bus routes is to develop tourism in Changhua and make public transport more convenient for local residents.
According to County Magistrate Wei, the volume of passengers at THSR Changhua Station is continuously increasing, and more bus routes are being established as well. Now, the emphasis is placed on developing the Changhua THSR special district, and the Changhua Christian Hospital is slated for groundbreaking next year. In addition to a macrobiotic village, there is also a health park. In the future, a weather station and 4-star European hotel will also be constructed in the special district, while a 12-seat driverless minibus will be introduced in late October, transporting passengers from THSR station to Taiwan Railways Tianzhong Station. In addition to the creation of a transport corridor, the 2017 Central Taiwan Agriculture Expo - National Bonsai Exhibition will be held at Changhua Xizhou Park in November. Next year, the open hours of the Changhua Flower Festival will be extended to the evening in order to foster nighttime economic and tourism development in southern Changhua and southeastern Changhua.
Xizhou Township Mayor Sheng-Lu, Huang indicated that since opening of the THSR Changhua Station, local residents have longed for shuttle bus service, and now he can finally witness the inauguration of the service with fellow Xizhou residents. The route 8 bus not only offers transport services for residents of Xizhou and Beidou but also to students who have left their hometown to study at MDU. It is hoped that the bus service will attract more tourists to the area, and citizens around the countries are welcome to take advantage of the public transport when visiting Changhua Xizhou Park.
DGH Taichung Motor Vehicle Office Director Hui-Hung, Li suggested that being an avid advocate of regional transportation during his tenure as a legislator, County Magistrate Wei has endeavored to promoting public transport after assuming office, and the county government has progressively launched several new bus routes. It is hoped that everyone will support and utilize public transportation. He extended special thanks to the county government for including MDU as a stop for the route 8 bus, and it is hoped that students will take advantage of route 8 bus to increase passenger volume. He believes that route 8 bus will be able to improve transport convenience and stimulate local developments.
In order to service county citizens traveling to and from THSR Changhua Station, the county government has already completed 10 bus routes and 150 bus shuttle services, including: city bus [route 6] from Lukang to THSR Changhua Station; [route 7] from Yuanlin to THSR Changhua Station; [route 8] (newly added) from Xizhou to THSR Changhua Station. The services aim to cater to the needs of Xizhou residents as well as teachers and students from MDU traveling to Taiwan Railways Tianzhong Station or THSR Changhua Station. Furthermore, the bus routes encompass important attractions in the county such as Beidou Old Street, Xizhou Old Street, Tianzhong Cat Village and Changhua Xizhou Park. The bus routes are expected to generate tremendous benefits in the future.
The 2017 Central Taiwan Agriculture Expo - National Bonsai Exhibition will be held at Changhua Xizhou Park during November 4-26, everyone is welcome to attend the event. Visitors may transfer to the [route 8] city bus at THSR Changhua Station or Tianzhong Train Station to reach Changhua Xizhou Park. [route 8] bus consists of 6 return buses daily. The departure times from Tianzhong Train Station are 6:20/07:30/09:30/11:30/16:00/17:30, and return times from Changhua Xizhou Park are: 06:20/07:30/09:30/11:30/16:00/17:30. Full fare tickets from Tianzhong Train Station to Changhua Xizhou Park are NT$72 and NT$60 from THSR Changhua Station to Changhua Xizhou Park.
Information courtesy of Changhua County Government official website.