Taitung, one of the 22 counties and cities in Taiwan, is an area rich in natural resources and cultural history. However, despite having the third largest land area in Taiwan (9.71%), Taitung has a population of about 213,000 (0.92%)1, and with the distribution of the population concentrated in urban centers, public transportation in rural areas is lacking, which in turn makes it difficult for residents in these areas to have their basic transportation needs met.
With the on demand service provided for rural areas, this study collaborated with the Taitung County Government to investigate the mobility needs in Taitung County through a questionnaire survey. It also conduct an analysis on obstacles for taking public transportation. Unlike previous studies, this survey classified data by townships and cities, allowing for a more in-depth analysis of improvement strategies for public transportation in comparatively densely populated areas and areas with lower population density, especially in terms of improving the demand-responsive transit services (DRTS) to better meet the needs of local residents.
The survey and analysis results show that the lack of information is the main obstacle for residents in the city center to take public transportation, while in rural areas, the service for next miles is the main factor for residents’ willingness to take public transportation rather than number of routes or frequencies,. The results of this study are expected to enable local governments in planning and design on demand mobility services in rural areas.