The docks went live at 10 a.m. last Friday. One sits at the mouth of Alley 505 on Zhongshan North Road Section 5 in Shilin, twenty-one posts. The other is at the corner of Xizang Road Lane 199 and Wanda Road Lane 198 in Wanhua, also twenty-one posts. Both are ordinary neighborhood spots, not tourist hubs.
YouBike has been filling gaps like this for years. Stations average 150 to 200 meters apart in the denser parts of the city. The fleet is large enough that the 500 millionth ride was expected sometime in September. The rider who hits that mark gets a NT$20,000 voucher. The five before and five after get NT$1,000 each. Daily rentals run around 260,000.
New users without a local phone number can now register with an email and a passport. The app unlocks the bike or you tap an EasyCard. Injury insurance is mandatory before the lock releases. Coverage goes up to NT$1 million for serious injury. That rule started in January.
The new docks do not change the map much. They shorten a walk for people who already live or work nearby. Shilin and Wanhua both have MRT stations within a short ride. The system treats those last blocks as its job. Transfer discounts with the metro and buses make the combination cheaper than a scooter for short trips.
YouBike announcement lists the addresses. The yellow bikes are already there. The question is whether the next pair of docks will open before the weather turns wet again.