Cross-strait Passenger Volume via Taichung Port Hits New High of 21,100 in Q1

Taipei, May 8, 2012 (CENS)--Driven by growing direct cross-strait traffic between Taiwan and China, the number of passengers via Taichung Port, central Taiwan, hit a single-quarter high of 21,100 in the first quarter of this year, sharply up 34.99% from a year ago, according to the latest statistics compiled by Taiwan International Ports Corporation's Taichung Port branch.

The company indicated that the significant growth was mainly led by passengers traveling across Taiwan and China in the first quarter, which were five times a year earlier, and stressed that the port's growing cross-strait passenger traffic is partly attributable to the Liner Straits, a high-speed passenger ship sailing between Taichung and Fujian.

The ship, beginning its voyage on November 30, 2011, had provided passenger transport services only on an occasional basis as of the end of this February, with an average of 150 passengers carried per voyage. Witnessing steady growth in passenger volume, Wagon Shipping Corp., the agent for Liner Straits in Taiwan, decided to run the ship regularly in the beginning of March. At the moment, the ship travels three times a week now, with the average passenger number reaching 292 per voyage in March.

Taichung Port branch regards Liner Straits as a promising driver of the port's sea passenger volume, which is estimated to surge 20-30% yearly this year.

In the meantime, Taichung Harbor Free Trade Port Zone handled 1.9494 million metric tons of imports and exports traded in the first quarter of this year, sharply soaring by 286.5% from 1.445 million tons done a year ago, with the trade value of NT$60.294 billion also representing a whopping surge of 339.9%.