Smooth travel was reported nationwide Saturday following the introduction of the new regional "TPass" public transport pass serving northern, central and southern Taiwan.
According to officials, contactless entry and exit gates at railway stations across the country were operating normally, and thanks to the quieter weekend traffic, no hustle and bustle was experienced.
However, there could be a significant surge of users next Monday, with Taipei alone selling more than 40,000 TPass cards, each costing NT$1,200 (US$39), in a single day, officials added.
According to Taipei City's Department of Transportation, some 85,000 TPass cards covering four cities in northern Taiwan -- Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei and Taoyuan -- had been sold as of June 29 since pre-orders started on June 15.
About 340,000 more such cards could be sold by the end of July, the department predicted.
