Sitting on Taipei Main Station lobby floor banned over coronavirus

Foreign workers and travelers sitting on chessboard-colored floor a common sight

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/02/29
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Sitting on the lobby floor at Taipei Main Station is banned between now and April 30, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) announced on Saturday (Feb. 29).

Taipei Main Station, located in the Zhongzheng District of Taiwan's capital, is where the Taipei Metro, Taiwan High Speed Rail, and Taiwan Railways systems converge. While the station serves as a major transportation hub, it has also become a place where people gather to rest and play.

As a measure to help stem the spread of the highly-contagious coronavirus (COVID-19), visitors are now prohibited from congregating in the station’s lobby or sitting on the floor. Events or exhibitions will also not be permitted to take place at the venue during this period, according to TRA.

Travelers waiting for trains and migrant workers are often seen sitting on the floor in the lobby, which boasts a chess-board like design of black and white tiles. The design has sparked an interesting debate about why people tend to sit on the black tiles rather than the white ones.
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