Taipei Bus Buffer Zones, Fare Tiers, and Transfer Guide

Public buses across Taipei and New Taipei operate under a mandatory tap-on and tap-off card system (上下車皆須刷卡), charging standard adult fares of NT$15 per section, student fares of NT$12, and concession fares of NT$8. When boarding or alighting within a designated segment buffer zone (分段緩衝區), or traveling entirely on one side of the buffer, journeys are billed as a single section (一段票 NT$15); only trips spanning from before the buffer zone to past it incur a two-section fare (兩段票 NT$30). Understanding door indicator lamps and buffer zone markings prevents excess deductions and preserves transfer discounts.

Important Reminder: Since July 2019 (2019 年 7 月), Taipei and New Taipei buses have enforced tapping cards upon both boarding and alighting. While penalties of locking cards and charging NT$20 card unlock fees have been abolished, failing to tap off revokes all 1-hour multimodal transfer discounts with MRT, feeder buses, and YouBike!

Taipei Bus Fare Structures: 1-Section, 2-Section, and 3-Section Fares

Joint-fleet buses in Taipei and New Taipei categorize routes based on travel distance into 1-section, 2-section, and occasional 3-section long-distance runs:

For cross-district commuters traveling frequently, compare savings in our TPASS commuter pass guide, bike connections in our YouBike 2.0 fare guide, and card replacement rules in our EasyCard refund and balance guide.

What Is a Segment Buffer Zone? Boarding and Alighting Deduction Rules

Buffer zones span several shared transit stops designed to prevent short rides near section boundary lines from being unfairly penalized with 2-section charges:

Trips spanning 3-section routes deduct NT$15 at boarding and NT$30 upon alighting (totaling NT$45).

Transfer Discounts Across Buses, Metro, Arterial Routes, and YouBike

Using registered smartcards unlocks multimodal transit discounts within 60 minutes across Taipei and New Taipei:

• Two-Way Transfers Between Buses and Taipei/New Taipei Metro: Standard and Student cards receive an NT$8 discount, while Concession cards receive an NT$4 discount.
• Transfers Between Arterial Express Buses, Citizen Minibuses, and Regular Buses: Transferring between Taipei's 16 arterial bus lines (16 條幹線公車) or New Taipei cross-district express buses and city routes within 1 hour grants half-price single section discounts (saving adults NT$8).
• Two-Way Transfers Between Buses and YouBike: Tapping smartcards between city buses and YouBike 2.0 within 1 hour grants an NT$5 discount on bike rentals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will My Card Be Locked If I Forget to Tap Off the Bus?

No. Taipei and New Taipei have eliminated card locking and NT$20 unlock fees; however, the card forfeits multimodal transfer discounts for 1 hour, deducting full fares on subsequent rides.

What Happens If You Board the Wrong Direction and Alight at the Same Stop?

Tapping upon boarding deducts NT$15; tapping off at the identical stop registers an alighting tap of NT$0. Fares cannot be refunded automatically by fare gates; riders must request manual driver adjustments.

Can You Pay for Accompanying Friends or Children on a Single Card?

Yes. Inform the driver before tapping, and the driver will set multi-passenger fares on the console; remember that all passengers must alight together to tap off simultaneously.

When Do Cash Riders Pay Fares or Receive Section Slips on 2-Section Buses?

Cash riders pay upon boarding; if traveling past the buffer zone, the driver issues a plastic section slip (分段證) or collects the second section fare (NT$15) upon alighting.

Last updated: 2026-11-01.

Sources

• Taipei City Public Transportation Office: Bus Fare and Buffer Zone Regulations (verified 2026-11-01): Mandatory tap-on/tap-off rules, NT$15 adult fare, NT$12 student fare, and NT$8 concession fare standards.
• New Taipei City Transportation Department: Bus Fares and Transfer Incentives (verified 2026-11-01): Municipal routes, cross-district arterial transfers, and metro transfer discounts.