TAIPEI, July 11 -- Public transportation accounted for 18.1 percent of all vehicle rides taken by people in Taiwan in 2016, the highest since 2009, according to a report released by the island's transportation authority Tuesday.
The figure was 0.2 percentage points higher than 2015 and 1.8 percentage points up from 2009 when the survey began.
Taipei saw the most use of public transportation, which accounted for 42.8 percent of all rides, followed by the northern cities of Keelung at 39.8 percent and New Taipei at 33.8 percent, the report showed.
Public transportation usage was the lowest in Chiayi City, only taking up 4.9 percent of all rides.
The survey featured means of public transportation including buses, trains, domestic flights and ferries.
The increase in public transportation methods has curbed people's interest in using private vehicles, the survey also found.
