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Updated Friday, October 5, 2007 0:00 am TWN, The China Post news staff

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Taipei-Yilan freeway to open for bus service at year-end

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Taipei-Yilan freeway, inaugurated in May 2006 and open to small cars only, will be opened to passenger bus operation at the end of the year, with two selected bus companies moving to import the most advanced buses from abroad to best serve passengers.

In June this year, the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, singled out Capital Bus and Kamaran Bus from a handful of contenders to handle bus operations on the freeway.

Both firms have been granted a period of six months to prepare for operating the new route, such as procurement of new buses and training of drivers.

Lee Chien-wen, general manager of Capital Bus, said his company has invested over NT$200 million in buying 28 Scania passenger buses from Sweden at a unit cost of NT$7.5 million to service the new route.

Lee said as the Hsuehshan Tunnel is 19.2 kilometers long, environmental protection and passenger safety are what count most for public transportation service on the Taipei-Yilan freeway. Accordingly, the exhaust emissions of the Scania buses is well-suited to meet the phase-four environmental protection standards set by the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration.

In addition, the new buses are installed with fixed-speed navigation and monitoring devices that can prevent drivers from dozing off or speeding. They are also available with radar monitoring system that can prevent them from being side-swiped by other vehicles.

Furthermore, the new buses feature luxurious inner decorations, each decked out with 30 seats that are comparable to business-class seats on a plane.

Meanwhile, Kamaran Bus has also spent NT$200 million to purchase 30 Fuso passenger buses from Mitsubishi Motor of Japan, which boast quite a few advanced devices, such as CBS positioning systems, digital driving safety recorders, central driving monitoring panels, as well as anti-smoke masks and oxygen cans for passengers.

Both bus companies are expected to set the prices at NT$130 to NT$180 pending the travel distances.

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