The Taipei City Government recently announced that from 1 April 2015, the first 30 minutes of use of its YouBikes, the public bike sharing system, will be charged NT$5 instead of being free of charge. The EPA is fully supportive of the Taipei City Government’s decision to focus on making the YouBike scheme sustainable and agrees with the principle of user pays. Taipei City’s change in policy will not affect the EPA’s policy of subsidizing local government public bicycle sharing systems. The EPA’s policy of subsidizing local government public bicycle sharing systems aims to encourage local governments to set up such schemes. The subsidies are offered according to the following principles: 1) All local governments that wish to implement public bicycle sharing systems should conduct preliminary assessments. A grant of a maximum amount of NT$5 million will, after due consideration, be made available to local governments to assist in making assessments to ensure that, once operating, the schemes are self-financing and sustainable to the highest possible degree. 2) Once a public bicycle sharing system is up and running, if an EPA assessment shows that people are using it instead of their own vehicles, and an analysis of financial feasibility plans based upon a sustainable operating model have been done, the EPA will consider subsidizing short-term (three months maximum) promotion measures. The EPA hopes to encourage motorcycle owners to opt for bicycles for short-distance transportation, thus reducing overall vehicle emissions. Excerpt from Environmental Policy Monthly, 18 (4)