Kaohsiung: Taiwan’s affordable long-haul bus company, Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport, will make its final trips on six routes in southern Taiwan on Saturday. The company will conclude operations on routes between Kaohsiung and Kenting, as well as Kaohsiung and Pingtung County.

According to Focus Taiwan, Kuo-Kuang will end its 9127 service from Kaohsiung’s Zili Bus Station to Pingtung County’s Dapeng Bay. Additionally, the company will terminate its 9117 bus between Zili Station and Kenting’s Small Beach, its 9189 bus between the Zuoying High Speed Rail Station and Small Beach, and its 9188 bus between Zili Station and Kenting’s Cape Eluanbi. After Saturday, the services of these four routes will be managed by Ping Tung Bus Co. and Kaohsiung Bus Co.

Beyond these routes, Kuo-Kuang will also stop its 1773 route from Pingtung Bus Station to Hengchun Bus Station, and its 1780 route from Pingtung Bus Station to Pingtung’s Fangliao Township. The Ping Tung Bus Co. will assume operations of these two lines.

Kuo-Kuang assured passengers that the service quality and schedules of the routes will remain unchanged under the new operators. Any future changes will be communicated via bus stations, official websites, and bus schedule platforms like iBus.

To mark the end of these routes, Kuo-Kuang General Manager Ren Ji-nan announced that 300 EasyCards will be distributed as souvenirs by station masters or drivers of the final buses. Digital signage will also be displayed to indicate the last trips of these services.

Throughout the year, Kuo-Kuang had announced plans to cease operations on several routes due to financial challenges. Increased competition from Taiwan Railway and Taiwan High Speed Rail, along with the widespread use of sedans, have impacted the company’s viability. Kuo-Kuang revealed that despite repaying bank loans, it remains over NT$2 billion (US$65 million) in debt.

Kuo-Kuang applied to discontinue 14 routes that have resulted in annual financial losses of nearly NT$190 million. While Taiwan’s Highway Bureau approved the cessation of the six southern Taiwan routes effective Sunday, the future of the remaining eight services is expected to be announced by Tuesday.