Park athletic fields in Taipei to begin charging in March

三月起台北運動公園將開始收費

City’s softball, soccer, and rugby fields will no longer be free to use


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Living in Taipei will become more expensive for those who enjoy playing team sports in the city’s riverside parks after the city government begins to charge for the use of 53 fields in March.

The Taipei Department of Sports said that beginning March 1, the city will begin to charge in various riverside parks for the use of fields for softball, soccer, and rugby as well as lighting for night games.

The charge for a baseball or softball field is NT$270 (US$9.3) per hour with an additional NT$400 per hour for lighting at night, CNA reported.

The fee for renting a soccer field for 11 players is NT$260 per hour with an additional charge of NT$300 per hour for lighting, while to rent a soccer field for five or seven players the charge is NT$190 per hour with an additional NT$250 for lighting per hour.

The cost for a rugby field is NT$240 with an extra NT$250 per hour for lighting.

A lighting facility rental system is expected to be established in April, and EasyCard will be used to pay for and operate the lights, the bureau said. Until then, payments will have to be made through the venue booking system.

The opening time for facilities with lighting is from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, while facilities without lighting are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The department said that Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) directed the department to begin charging last year to avoid the fields being freely used for commercial purposes.

For more information, please refer to the department’s website.