Logistics Management Research Analysis
Passenger Volume Analysis of Public Transportation in the Hualien-Taitung Region, supported by the East Center for Transportation Research & Development
Cover image was generated by ChatGPT.
Introduction
This project was commissioned by the East Center for Transportation Research & Development. It conducts an analysis of the current utilization of public transportation services in Hualien County and Taitung County to ascertain existing supply-demand characteristics and usage patterns. The findings will serve as a basis for reviewing and enhancing the current public transportation system, with the aim of improving service performance in non-metropolitan areas, strengthening overall regional transportation accessibility, and promoting mobility and transportation equity for all population groups.
Limitations
Description
This section provides an overview of the project dataset, including the analysis period, participating operators and route classifications, as well as ticket types and their corresponding keyword mapping principles, serving as the foundation for project statistics and analytical work.
Regarding the scope of the data, this project first organizes the participating operators and their respective transportation categories based on the actual data collected, while clarifying portions excluded due to data limitations. Routes are then classified according to their characteristics into urban lines, coastal lines, mountain-coastal lines, and longitudinal valley lines, compiling a comprehensive route list to support subsequent data imputation and network analysis. At the same time, ticket types used in this project are explicitly defined along with their corresponding keywords to ensure the accuracy of automated ticket classification and consistency in the preparation of statistical tables.
Furthermore, the analysis period of the dataset is dynamically adjusted according to the requirements of the East Center for Transportation Research & Development. Historical service suspensions of Hualien Bus and subsequent coverage by alternative operators are compiled to serve as important references for data quality verification and interpretation of operational changes.
Document Preparation
The layout of this report follows standardized formatting as follows: font size is 13.5 pt, line spacing is fixed at 20 pt, paragraph spacing before and after is set at 0.5 lines, and the first line of each paragraph is indented by 2 characters. Chinese text uses Standard Kai Font / BiauKai (標楷體), while English text uses Times New Roman. All figures and tables are numbered according to their respective chapters in an X.X.X format; for example, figures and tables in Section 1.1 are sequentially labeled as 1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc., to maintain systematic and consistent organization.
Report content must be written objectively and rigorously. All statements should be based on data analysis results, with appropriate use of tables and figures for supporting evidence, ensuring clarity and verifiability. Each analysis should not only explain its purpose but also discuss its advantages, limitations, and potential development opportunities, ultimately presenting concrete conclusions and recommendations to inform policy formulation and decision-making.
Transportation Operators
The transportation operators covered in this project are listed as follows:
| Operator | Transportation Category | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Railways | Railway Transport | Excluded from this analysis due to data access limitations; related research is conducted by other teams. |
| Taroko Bus | Highway Bus Transport | Primary operator for selected urban and longitudinal valley routes. |
| Capital Bus | Highway Bus Transport | Co-operates with Taipei Bus on the urban 307 series routes. |
| Taipei Bus | Highway Bus Transport | Co-operates with Capital Bus on the urban 307 series routes. |
| UBus | Highway Bus Transport | Assumed most Hualien Bus routes, covering urban, coastal, mountain-coastal, and longitudinal valley lines as main operating scope. |
| Hsing-Tung Bus | Highway Bus Transport | Operates selected coastal and mountain-coastal routes, and partially takes over former Hualien Bus routes. |
| Taiwan Tourist Shuttle | Tourist Service Routes (Highway Bus) | Primarily operates sightseeing routes covering Taroko, East Coast, and Longitudinal Valley scenic areas; some routes are operated by other bus operators under contract. |
| Hualien Bus | Highway Bus Transport | Fully ceased operations on all urban and highway routes as of 2024-12-01, with most services taken over by UBus and Hsing-Tung Bus. |
The dataset for this project involves eight transportation operators, including one railway operator and seven highway bus operators. Taiwan Railways is excluded from this analysis due to data access constraints; related studies are conducted by other teams. The seven highway bus operators, Taroko Bus, Capital Bus, Taipei Bus, UBus, Hsing-Tung Bus, Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, and Hualien Bus, constitute the main providers of regional road transport services.
Taroko Bus is responsible for urban routes and certain segments of the longitudinal valley lines. Capital Bus and Taipei Bus jointly operate the urban 307 series routes. UBus operates the widest coverage of regional routes and, due to the gradual suspension of Hualien Bus services since 2022, has progressively taken over its urban and highway routes, becoming the operator with the largest number of routes during the study period. Hsing-Tung Bus operates certain coastal and mountain-coastal routes and, in coordination with UBus, assumes partial operations previously managed by Hualien Bus.
The service coverage provided by the aforementioned operators forms the primary foundation for the dataset analysis and subsequent model development in this project.
Route Classification
Based on the bus service data collected for this project, routes have been classified according to their characteristics to facilitate subsequent data cleaning, imputation, and ticket type categorization. This classification provides a comprehensive reference between routes and operators, serving as the foundation for statistical analysis, trend studies, and passenger volume assessment. Route numbers operated by each provider are explicitly compiled to support data analysis and ticket statistics. The route classifications are described as follows:
Urban Bus Services (Urban Lines)
Urban lines primarily serve short-distance transport within cities and neighboring towns, catering to commuting and student travel needs.
| Operator | Route Number | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Taroko Bus | 301, 302, 302A, 305, 305A | Main urban commuting and arterial routes |
| Capital Bus / Taipei Bus | 307, 307A | Connects key urban and intercity nodes |
| UBus | 308, 308A, 311, 311A, 1128 | - |
Highway Bus Services (Coastal Lines)
Coastal lines primarily run along the eastern coastline, connecting coastal towns. Some services operate by reservation, and certain former Hualien Bus routes are now served by UBus.
| Operator | Route Number | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Tourist Shuttle | 304 | By reservation, non-fixed schedule |
| UBus | 310, 1123, 1129, 1131, 1132, 1132A, 1136, 1140, 1140A, 1145 | Some former Hualien Bus routes now operated by UBus |
| Hsing-Tung Bus | 8101, 8102, 8105, 8119 | - |
Highway Bus Services (Mountain-Coastal Lines)
Mountain-coastal lines connect inland and coastal regions. Some former Hualien Bus routes are now operated by UBus. Services may be suspended temporarily due to natural disasters or road blockages.
| Operator | Route Number | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Hsing-Tung Bus | 309, 8181 | - |
| UBus | 1125, 1133, 1141, 1141A | Former Hualien Bus routes now operated by UBus; Route 1141 temporarily suspended due to earthquake-induced road blockage |
Highway Bus Services (Longitudinal Valley Lines)
Longitudinal valley lines run along the Hualien-Taitung valley, providing medium- to long-distance services between towns for commuting, tourism, and school transport.
| Operator | Route Number | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Taroko Bus | 303, 303B, 303C, 303D | - |
| UBus | 1121, 1122, 1130, 1135, 1135A, 1137, 1139, 1139B, 1139C, 1142, 1143 | Former Hualien Bus routes now operated by UBus |
| Hsing-Tung Bus | 8161, 8173 | - |
Ticket Type Description
Based on TPASS system specifications and the data collected, ticket types in this project are categorized into main types and subcategories, with corresponding keywords to ensure classification accuracy and data consistency.
| Main Ticket Category | Subcategory / Definition | Example Keywords | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Ticket | - | No specific keywords | Standard ticket without any discounts or special conditions. |
| TPASS Monthly Pass | Monthly Pass, Regional Full Pass | 199, 399, Monthly Pass, All-area Highway + TRA, All-area Highway + All-area TRA, Hualien Area, Taitung Area | Applicable to TPASS system monthly passes, covering specified regions and transport modes. |
| Student Ticket | Student, School-aged Ticket | Student, School-aged | Tickets purchased for school-aged students, eligible for student discounts. |
| Senior Ticket | Elderly Ticket | Senior | Tickets for persons aged 65 and above, eligible for senior discounts. |
| Disability Ticket | Disabled Ticket | Compassion, Disability | Tickets for persons with disabilities and accompanying persons, enjoying statutory discounts. |
| Other Concession Tickets | Child, Companion, Half-price, Other Discount Tickets | Child, Kids, Companion, Aid, Concession, Half, Discount | Includes tickets for children, accompanying persons, and other statutory or operator-provided concession tickets. |
- If a single transaction includes multiple keywords, classification priority is as follows: TPASS > Senior / Disability / Student > Other Concession Tickets > Regular Ticket.
- This table serves as a reference for automated ticket classification and data imputation, applicable to both urban and highway bus data.
Analysis Framework
This project conducts multi-dimensional statistical and travel behavior analyses based on ticketing data provided by transportation operators, supporting public transportation policy development, operational performance evaluation, and service quality enhancement. The overall analysis encompasses passenger volume trends, ticket usage, traveler characteristics, tourist demand, and network efficiency, including but not limited to the following areas:
Passenger Volume Trend Analysis
Analyzes annual, monthly, and time-of-day variations in passenger volumes to examine demand trends across routes and operators, assessing seasonal, regional, and long-term changes. This provides insights into travel demand fluctuations and the rationality of capacity allocation, serving as a reference for service adjustments.
Ticket Type and Passenger Group Analysis
Statistics by ticket type are used to examine usage, proportion, and characteristics of different passenger groups, such as commuters, elderly, and students. This aids in evaluating subsidy policies and adjusting service strategies.
Key Tourist Attraction Analysis
- Annual Growth Trend Analysis
Evaluates annual growth rates and demand changes at major tourist attractions to guide planning of tourist-oriented routes.
- Route Analysis
Identifies main service routes to attractions and their passenger distribution, highlighting popular travel corridors and potential service gaps.
- Weekday vs. Weekend Analysis
Compares passenger flows between weekdays and weekends to inform capacity enhancements and service adjustments at attractions.
Monthly Pass Usage Analysis
Examines the usage rate, user groups, and travel patterns of monthly passes to assess policy effectiveness and the success of monthly pass programs.
Inter-town Passenger Flow Analysis
Statistics of trips between towns, transfer intensity, and boarding density are used to map regional travel patterns and assess whether cross-town transportation demand and service supply are balanced, providing a basis for regional network integration and urban-rural transport policy planning.
Average Trip Distance
Calculates the average distance traveled per passenger, analyzing travel behavior across different routes and passenger groups to evaluate service efficiency and travel demand characteristics.
Daily Average Usage and Passenger Group Distribution
Analyzes daily average trip frequency, characteristics of user groups with varying usage levels, and monthly trends, capturing differences in demand among high-, medium-, and low-frequency users.
Average Number of Transfers
Analyzes passenger transfer behavior per trip to understand network connectivity, cross-route service convenience, and potential transfer bottlenecks.
Overlapping Route Segment Analysis
Compares and quantifies overlapping segments between different routes by examining route trajectories, stop sequences, and operating segments. Analysis includes segment length, number of affected routes, peak and off-peak passenger volumes, and the impact of overlapping operations on efficiency and resource allocation. Statistical indicators and visualizations help identify areas of over- or under-supply, supporting network adjustment, schedule optimization, and inter-operator coordination. The results provide key references for authorities in route planning, resource integration, and cross-route service coordination to enhance overall network efficiency and service quality.
The above analyses provide important evidence for transportation policy development, resource allocation, and service quality improvement.
Conclusion
This project systematically organized and analyzed the collected data, providing multi-dimensional performance indicators through ticket type classification, passenger volume trend assessment, and analysis of passenger characteristics, resulting in concrete and actionable outcomes. All analyses are grounded in objective data and supplemented with tables and visualizations to enhance readability and decision-making value.
Based on the findings presented in the preceding sections, the project offers conclusions and recommendations regarding the efficiency of current transportation services, ticketing schemes, and travel demand characteristics. These insights aim to assist authorities in understanding the current state of transportation services, formulating strategies for improvement, and serving as a reference for policy promotion and operational process optimization, ultimately contributing to the overall effectiveness and sustainable development of the public transportation system.
References
- Directorate General of Highways, Ministry of Transportation and Communications. (n.d.). Highway Bus Real-time Information System. Retrieved from https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Default.aspx?lan=C
- Hualien County Government. (n.d.). Hualien e-Traffic - Highway Bus Inquiry Service. Retrieved from https://110traffic.hl.gov.tw/Bus/BusChoice