Transformative Technology|开花『捷』果

by Bruce Bagnell

Taiwan's TRTC has changed Taipei for the better.

　　Residents of Taipei, Taiwan are lucky to have one of the world's best mass transit systems in the world. Officially known as the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC), the TRTC serves the greater Taipei area. For the past three years, an international organization has ranked the TRTC as number one for safety, reliability, and quality. While the subway system cost an arm and a leg, most people believe it was money well spent. Taipei's mass rapid system6 came a little late, but it was worth the wait.

　　The world's first MRT system was built in London in 1863. Affectionately called "the Tube," the London system like the TRTC is ranked in the top 10 internationally. In 1868, New York City made a modest start with its Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Today the New York MTA has the longest route system and the most stations of any city worldwide. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With 4.5 million passengers a day, it is still below that of Tokyo, Seoul, and Moscow, all of which carry more than seven million commuters daily. These three carriers plus the TRTC and Paris's MRT are also famous for their cleanliness.

　　Many MRT systems around the world are connected to other transportation systems. For example, once inside the TRTC, one can easily connect to both regular and high-speed train services. Bus service and taxi stands are available at all MRT stations to shuttle passengers to their final destinations, too. MRT systems can be considered a transformative technology, which means they greatly affect how people live their lives. Just ask anyone who lived in Taipei before the 1990s what commuting was like before the TRTC.

 

开花『捷』果

台湾的台北捷运系统让台北蒸蒸日上。

　　台湾台北市的居民很幸运能拥有全世界最棒的大众运输系统之一。台北捷运公司为台北地区服务，其正式名称为台北大众捷运股份有限公司。过去三年来，某家国际机构就安全性、可靠性和质量方面而将台北捷运公司排在第一位。尽管这套捷运系统所费不赀，但大多数人都认为这笔钱是花在刀口上。台北的大众运输系统虽然来得晚了一些，但这场等待却相当值得。

　　全世界最早的捷运系统于 1863 年建立于伦敦市。伦敦地铁系统被人们亲切地称作 the Tube，它和台北捷运系统一样在国际上排行前十名。1868 年，纽约市以大都会运输署（MTA）而有了小小的开端。如今纽约大都会运输署拥有全世界所有城市中最长的行驶路线和最多的停靠站数。它全天候营业，且全年无休。虽然纽约大都会运输署每天的载客量有四百五十万人，但它和东京、首尔以及莫斯科相比仍然略逊一筹，这些城市的运输系统每天皆载运七百多万位通勤者。以上这三家运输公司以及台北捷运公司与巴黎的捷运公司皆因其干净整洁而闻名。

　　世界各地许多的捷运系统都与其他交通系统相互连结。举例来说，假如你身在台北捷运，你可以很轻易地转乘一般火车和高铁服务。所有的捷运站也都有公交车服务和出租车招呼站接送乘客前往他们的最终目的地。捷运系统可以被视为一项革命性的科技，这意味着其对人们的生活方式有相当大的影响。不妨问问任何在 1990 年代之前居住在台北市的人，当时没有台北捷运时通勤的经验是如何。