Someday, in Xinbeitou, a boss of grocery store was delivering the goods up to mountain, a waitress just about to down the mountains, and she asked the boss to drive her down, then she paid 2 dollars as a reward………….

0077 the motorcycle retailer’s boss said…..

Around 58th year of the Republic Era, there has a grocery store called 181 near Beitou Park. The store used motorcycle to deliver goods, and sometimes they took the clients and goods as well. Then, there had a man whose name is Tsai Mu-Tsun. He thought that use motorbike to carry people as a job is a great idea, so he rent a motor store to practice his idea.

2488’s owner said…..

In early days, lots of people built their house on the mountain, the traffic was inconvenient, so it was developed the Beitou Express. In the 85th year of Republic Era, Beitou had lots of hotels. The personals of hotels almost used Beitou Express to commute.

1234 motorcycle retailer’s owner said…..

Beitou Express used to transport the hotel staffs and Nakasi band. Owning to the roads are very rough and the lanes area narrow in Beitou, so the motorcycle is more convenient.

The 3181 ex-owner's wife said~

Before 1950, in the Beitou Hot Spring region (around Beitou Park), there has no public transit. Hotel staffs and residents commuted by feet or bike. The Beitou "Motorcycle Courier Service" culture was born occasionally. In 1950’s beside the Beitou Park, the owner of the Wan-Ji grocery store who was in debt. The creditor was his friend who worked in hotel. In that time, Mr. Huang was no money to pay the debt. In order to pay off debts, Mr. Huang used another way to paid ---- providing transport service.

Mr. Huang picked and dropped off his friend from home to hotel every working day. Each way was represent 2 dollars. In that time, the hot spring resort was very prosperous, but there was no public transit for resort personnel to commute. So Mr. Huang’s transport service was well known rapidly. Lots of people were willing to pay 2 dollars for the service. At first, there was only Mr. Hung to transport clients. In order to serve more clients, Mr. Huang asked his cousin and nephew to help out.

But still can’t deal with all the clients. At last, Mr. Huang employed 16 people to work with. Clients could call the Wan-Ji grocery store’s number “181” for transport service. Then, 181 became the name of service station. (The service station was opening in 1920’s Japanese occupation; the telephone number was consisted by 3 numbers. Then, the number became into 3181.)

When the service station was set up, the fee was 2 dollars still. (Then along the times, the fee had raise to 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 dollars till now.) After few years later, the service station added another service --- shopping for clients. In 1990’s, the Wan-Ji grocery store was closed, and the service station’s owner was taken by Mr. Jian. Along the economy in Taiwan started booming, there were almost a hundred hot spring resorts in Beitou. The 3181 service station had more than 30 motorbike to serve hundreds staffs to commute for 24 hours.

Due to the recession and the government cracked down on pornography, the hot spring resort in Beitou started to decline, and began into hot spring hotel.

Now, Beitou is becoming a recreational and a residential district that with beautiful scenery. So the Beitou Express from the initial serve the hotel staff into provides transport and shop for the local resident.