The London Underground is the worst. It’s such a great humiliation to London, but an efficient and high quality transportation system like the Taipei MRT makes a great impression on tourists. This article will compare Taipei’s MRT and the London Underground.

Ticketing system and pricing

A ticketing system for a subway is vital because such a large, complicated transportation network needs an efficient system to manage it.

In Taipei, the ticketing process is fast. There are several different ways to pay, suitable for different kinds of situations.

In Taipei, riders can pay for fares with ‘Easy Cards.’ Students can also use their student IDs which are slightly cheaper. Riders can either purchase single journey tickets or top up their Easy Cards at any payment booth at every station. Easy Cards can also be topped up in convenience stores.

In London’s underground system, you pay with the Oyster Card. The payment is based on what plan you buy. There are options like daily passes or single journey rides. Children under 11 ride for free on the London Underground.

In Taipei the ticketing system is so much more convenient for foreigners. There is a multi-language, single journey ticket booth at each station. Oyster cards must be bought at a London Underground ticket desk.

Reliability of both systems

There is no service for London Underground metros on special holidays like Christmas, which is inconvenient for pedestrians who need to travel on such a busy holiday.

The MRT in Taipei is rarely late and is always open throughout the year, and instead of closing the whole system, the staff in the MRT system take shifts and leave work earlier on holidays.

There is also disabled service on the Taipei MRT. Every facility is disabled-friendly. For example, the MRT has railings in the bathroom, special doorways for disabled people in wheelchairs, and also the elevators within the stations. An extra wheelchair is always provided at every station for loan and emergency uses.

Safety

Safety is the most important consideration in a subway system. Taipei’s MRT is extremely safe, but the London Underground can be a little more dangerous.

There was an average of 77,000 reported crimes and 197,000 crimes unreported each year in the London underground.

As for the Taipei MRT, most crime committed is on the Red Line, which is the busiest section of the whole MRT. Most crimes committed are theft and there are hardly any assault related crimes.

In total, there are roughly 750 reports of theft per year, with only 75 or so reported assaults each year in the whole system. The biggest safety issue on the MRT is sexual assault in the form of unwanted touching, which is a big problem.

The culture and the environments of people also matters in this prospect because crime is less welcomed in Taiwanese societies.

Comfort and Cleanliness

Being one of the oldest electric powered underground railways, London has to really revamp its system. The shaky, rusty, trashcan-like trains of the Underground need to be upgraded or refurbished into something much more reliable.

The MRT carts are very clean. With the strict no-eating policies and no littering rules, the MRT is remarkably comfortable and clean. The railroads and tracks of the MRT system are also under great maintenance, which provides a steady, smooth ride for passengers.

Unlike the London Underground, the Taipei MRT has an air conditioning system, which makes the whole place feel nicer and also smell nicer.

Strict fines are enforced on the MRT to keep it fresh and clean. There are cigarette detectors in station bathrooms and fines for littering, eating, and smoking in the MRT. There are no rules in the London Underground about eating, which is why it is far more dirty.

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The Taipei MRT in whole is just so much better than the London Underground system. It is well maintained, has superb air conditioning, and it is also very safe. It also provides better for handicapped people and foreigners, which makes Taipei a much more friendly city than London.

London Underground facts

• 270 stations in total.
• Officially started and founded on January 10, 1863, between Paddington and Farringdon.
• There were more than 77,000 reported incidents of crime on the London Underground. The same report estimates unreported crime to be as high as 197,000 incidents per year.
• Uses ‘oyster cards’
• Liverpool Street station is built upon an ancient burial site and in 2015, archaeologists unearthed 3,000 skeletons.
• Aldgate Station is also built above a huge plague pit that holds over 1,000 bodies.
• The Tube travels 43 million miles every year. That’s halfway to the sun.
• There are approximately 49 abandoned stations.
• The London Underground Film Office handles over 200 requests a month.
• Every week, the Underground’s escalators travel the equivalent distance of twice around the world.

Taipei MRT facts

• 120 stations in total.
• First official line is the Taipei Zoo line, which opened in 1996.
• Announcements are made in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English.
• Riders can use Easy Cards to pay or can buy single ride passes.
• Every line has its own theme song.
• According to foreigners, tourists, and the people of Taiwan, the MRT is surprisingly clean.