The CEO Magazine Asia - April 2018

theceomagazine.com | 79

city

in

transit

If only there was a way to solve the persistent smog problem,

a city could be shining in all its glory. Enter Ho Shing of the

Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation.

WORDS ADRIAN FLORES • IMAGES RICH MATHESON

A

K

aohsiung has a serious problem. As one of Taiwan’s largest cities by

population (after New Taipei and jostling with Taichung for second

place), it’s the industrial heartland and home to a myriad of polluting

industries. To make matters worse, a significant amount of dust and

related pollutants from the Chinese mainland blows over onto the

island, especially in winter when energy use is at its highest.

Not to worry though, because Ho Shing might hold a solution to the city’s

longstanding haze woes. Not only is the President of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit

Corporation (KRTC) tasked with running the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit

(MRT), he also oversees the city’s light rail system as well as Kaohsiung’s public

bike-sharing system. “That’s more than almost 4,000 bikes at 300 stations all across

our city,” he notes.

However, Kaohsiung has another serious problem. No-one seems to want to

use any of these systems. Either that, or no-one is aware of them as viable »

Interview | INNOVATE