Bus APP

        In Taiwan, bus is a cheap transportation tool. In some city, bus is even free. Bus also increases the accessibility of rural attractions, especially for foreign travelers with constraint budget.  The most challange of taking bus is that you cannot know the exact thime the bus will arrive. Although sometimes you can download timetables if the timetables you want is easy to find, but bus may be a few minutes earlier or latter.  Here is the solution：Bus App.

        Bus is an important transportation tool. Its extensive network and low cost make it a best transportation tool for local citizens and travelers. Although bus is cheap, there are some problems with traveling by bus:

Hard to find timetables

     You may need more than one timetale and these timetables may come from differnet bus companies. Some travel blogs provide summary timetables. However, the timetables may be out of date or the  bus even stops operation.
        Another problem with the time table is the estimated time of arrive(ETA). That's a matrix and it is hard to provide the matrix. For example,  There is a bus line go through A, B, C, D, E. What's the time from point B to D?
Bus line mangement

        If you have gathered all bus timetalbes with your hard research, it is hard to management these timetables when you traveling. You have to sort these timetables and find out quickly when you need.

Where is the bus

        When you arrive the bus stop according to the timetable, you may worry the bus has gone. If you arrive the bus stop too early, you may feel that it is a pity that you should have more time at the attraction.

         Thanks to information technology development in Taiwan, bus app can provide solution to those problems. In Taiwan, almost all bus are quiped with GPS devices and the real-time GPS data are open to public. Lots bus app use these public data to provide service. This blog introduce one of these app, which is provided by Directorate General of Highway and covers numberous cities and bus companies. You can download the app, iBus, from Google Play or App Store.

        The following video shows how to use bus app. The estimated time of arrival(ETA) and real-time GPS may save your time a lot. 

       The first lesson to learn how to use bus app is know the bus infrastructure in Taiwan. Since there are hundreds of bus lines in Taiwan, it is hard to integrate all bus information, including real-time GPS, in a single app. Here are some tips for you to choose which app to use.

1. Use google maps to check the bus line in advance. 
2. Major cities have more bus lines and have their bus app.  
3. Long distince bus or inter-city bus (4-digital bus number, ex Bus 1815) information is revealed in Highway bus app (iBus). 

        In Tawan, there are 2 bus systems: highway bus and city bus. Highway bus connects different cities and city bus serves city network. iBus is a highway bus app. If you need city bus information, you need to download city bus app. The best way to distinghish highway bus from city bus is by the bus number. Highway bus number is 4 digital, for example 1062, 1133, 8050.  This is a rule of thumb. However, there are lots exception. Sometimes you can find city bus lines information at highway bus app and you can find highway bus lines information at city bus app.

Type	App	Examples Bus Lines
Highway Bus	iBus	1133: TRA Hualien<->TRA Xincheng(Taroko)<->Tianxiang 302(City Bus/Hualien):TRA Xincheng(Taroko)<->Tianxiang 1815:Taipei Main Station<->MRT Taipei Citi Hall<->Yehliu 6670:TRA Taichung<-> HSR Taichung<->Sun Moon Lake 6658:TRA Taichung<-> HSR Taichung<->Cingjing 6739:Sun Moon Lake<->Alisan 6936:HSR Taichung<->Lugang 7329:HSR Chiayi<->Alisan 7322:TRA Chiayi<->Alisan
City Bus	Taipei	862:Keelung<->Yehliu<->Tamshui 790:<->Jinshan 795:Muzha<->Shifen S8: MRT Shipai<->Zhuzihu S9: MRT Beitou<->MRT Xinbeitou<->Zhuzihu
City Bus	Taichung	178,179:Qingshui<->Gaomei 160: HSR Taichung<->Fenjia 309: Taichung Station<->Gaomei
City Bus	Kaohsiung	E02: HSR Kaohsiung<->Foguangshan

• Google Maps

        Google Maps is a powerful tool in Taiwan. It contains route and table information about  HSR, railway, bus. Althoug the information in google maps may not be correct, it provides you the basic information. The following is an examples that you can check which bus you can take from HSR Chiayi Station to Alisan Staion. You can take Bus 7329 to Alisan directly or take Bus 7211 to TRA Chiayi Station and transfer to Alisan Station  by Bus 7322

            

• Highway Bus: iBus

        Most bus apps provide similiar functions. You can apply the introduction in this section when you use other bus app.

        After installing iBus to your smartphone, you need to switch it to English if you don't know Chinese.

        One of most usefuel tool is Bus Line. I will show to find the bus line you need at the bottom of this blog with an example. If you have know the bus line, you can search directly. The same bus line have 2 choices, outward and return. Click on the direction you need andyou will see stops, bus plate numbes and the estimated time the bus will arive. Yes...you don't need the timetable anymore unless you take bus at the first bus stop.

        According to my personal experience, the estimated time to arrive is reliable. You can arrive the bus 1~2 minutes in advance. You can alse estimate the time for different stops. For instance, you know it takes 23 minutes from Stop A to Stop B and it takes 12 minutes from Stop B to stop C, therefore it takes about 35 minutes from Stop A to Stop C. You can check the timetable at the bottom of bus line or estimate by yourself, and leave your timetalbe in your smartphone or luggage.

        Another important feature of iBus is that you can save the route and stop in to "My Favorite". After finding out and confirming the route, you can save the route. Click on the "+"  at top right corner and you can save it to "My Favorite Route".

        You can save bus stop to "My Favorite" as well.  This function monitor and list all real-time GPS of  your bus. You can control your time well and simply your itinerary management.

• City Bus

        Since bus data are open to public, lots city bus apps you can choose. But for a foreign travelers, I suggest bus app provided by city government since it provdes English. The major feature, real-time GPS, is the same as iBus. Some provide Google Map inside to locate your location and bus stop nearby.                

Other Topics You May Be Interested In 

• Transportation between Taipei and Hualien(Taroko)
• Transportation between Cinjing, Sun Moon Lake and Alisan
• Transportation of Yeliu, Pingxi, Shifen & Jiufen
• Yangminsan,Palace Museum,Beitou, Damshui, Shilin NM Itinerary
• Transportation to Taichung
• Bus Trip Between Cinjing and Taroko
• Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
• Booking Alisan Forest Train Tickets
• One-Day Hike in Taroko Gorge
• Booking Train Tickets
• Luggage Storage