Taipei City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Tuesday the updated version of YouBike App has added the new “push notification” function to allow users to access instant information about the status and conditions of individual YouBike rental, such as bike return and fare value deducted from a debit card.
According to statistics, the number one reason Taipei citizens called YouBike customer service is to check out “use records and whether the renting and returning of a bike and fare value deduction are successful,” the DOT said. To make it more convenient for users to access such information, the new push notification function has been added to the new YouBike App.
Users have to download or update the new YouBike App on their smartphones, login in the member account number, select the “push notification record,” and check the push notification to activate the function, the DOT said. Users will receive messages from the system three minutes after renting or returning YouBike, the DOT added.
For example, users may receive a message that read like, “The bike return is successful! You have returned the bike, No. A11111, at 001-1 bike post at the MRT Taipei City Hall Station at 2016-08-08 08:00:01 using EasyCard, No.0123456789. The fare deducted is NT$5,” the DOT said.
The messages may also include information about operation, emergencies, and activities, the DOT said. In case users lose their card, they can delete the card registration from the App’s “Card Management” to prevent other people from using it.
The DOT reminded people that after returning YouBike and swiping the card for fare value deduction, the panel of the bike post will turn from blue light to green light to mean the return is successful.