Riding around in Tainan Part 1

For those who are visiting Tainan, or just recently moved here, getting around quickly and conveniently is crucial. Normally one would immediately turn to public transportation for this. However, public transportation is not Tainan’s strong point, but this may be due to the lack of demand and the way the city was built. Locals would laugh whenever I mentioned that I would catch a bus, as they scoffed the existence of such things in Tainan. I found this out the hard way and often had to wait for over 40 minutes for a bus.  Calling a taxi is easy enough in the CBD areas, but more difficult anywhere else, and it is not cheap.  

Thus I had no other choice but to walk for the first few months in Tainan.  It sure is a great way to keep fit, but it also consumes a lot of time. Finally I could take it no longer and decided to procure a bicycle.  Why didn’t I buy one in the first place? Well, I had clearly overestimated my walking pace and patience. Cycling certainly made things quicker, and is very convenient when just travelling around a city district.  However, I soon found out that if I wanted to travel further and across opposite ends of Tainan, riding a bicycle is still not quick enough.

This left me with either buying a car or a motorcycle.  There are many pros and cons for each choice in Tainan, but the price difference between the two is rather considerable.  Scooters cost at least NT$ 45 000 for a new one, whereas a new car would cost at least NT$ 400 000, which is nearly 10 times more!  Naturally, for most of those who are only planning on staying in Tainan for a short duration, which choice is more feasible?

Yes, that’s right. The scooter or motorcycle. It’s quicker and more convenient in Tainan, unless it rains, which isn’t very frequent compared to the rest of the country.  Locals agree vehemently, especially when just running errands nearby, quick and easy, no fuss with parking.  As you can tell, I decided to get a scooter and if you feel that a bicycle is insufficient, a scooter is probably the next logical step.  How to get one when you just came from abroad will be discussed next.