Pokémon Go, an app for smartphones developed by Japanese video-gaming specialists Niantic and Nintendo, has proved a smash hit in Taiwan since its release here on August 6. In Tainan, large crowds of players have been congregating at parks and public spaces to catch digital creatures. Numerous incidents of players riding scooters or driving cars to look for Pokémon has kept Tainan police busy issuing traffic tickets to violators of road rules. Fines range between NT$1,000 and NT$3,000.
To keep players and road users safe, Tainan Mayor William Lai has urged citizens to avoid illegal riding or driving when seeking creatures. Cautioning players that using a phone to detect Pokémon while operating a motor vehicle is against the law and can easily cause traffic accidents, the mayor said that city police are on the watch for violators, who will be fined. He recommended the Tainan City Bus as a safe, convenient, and comfortable way to play the game. “Players can take buses with free Wi-Fi and USB charging sockets to capture Pokémon in Tainan. In this way they can peacefully enjoy the game and not worry about safety.”
Bus Routes 88 and 99 are especially helpful to Pokémon players. As Mayor Lai explained, “The routes cover almost all hot Pokéstops in downtown Tainan, including Tainan Park, Tainan Confucius Temple, Haian Road, Shueipingwun Park, Eternal Golden Castle, Anping Fort, and Anping Sunset Platform. These routes dispatch one bus per hour on weekdays and one bus every 30 minutes at weekends. Pokémon players who ride these buses can be sure of reaping a bumper harvest.”
According to Tainan City Public Transportation Office, a student who recently took the Tainan City Bus Green Line from Tainan Railway Station to Yujing caught 35 creatures and discovered over 100 Pokéstops during his nearly 70-minute ride. “I can’t wait to share this experience with other Pokémon fans. The bus not only is air-conditioned but also has USB charging sockets for me to charge my smartphone. I don’t have to worry that my smartphone will run out of battery power.”
Michael Chang, director-general of Tainan City Government’s Transportation Bureau, said more than 100 buses and nearly 200 bus shelters in Tainan now provide free USB charging sockets, while free Wi-Fi services are currently available on 25 of the city’s buses. Next year, Tainan will have up to 400 buses and 900 bus shelters and stops offering free 4G and Wi-Fi services. Moreover, all newly installed bus shelters and stops will have USB charging sockets. These measures, which are part of the city government’s endeavor to turn Tainan into a 4G smart city, will “incidentally” roll out comprehensive “support services” for Pokémon players in Tainan, said the bureau.