The two leading candidates in the New Taipei City mayoral race traded remarks at a distance, and this time the mood was unexpectedly calm — a minor stumble for Li Si-chuan, and a chance for Su Chiao-hui to show grace.

• During a visit to the Taiwan People's Party caucus in the Legislative Yuan, Kuomintang candidate Li Si-chuan mistakenly said that the 307 bus travels on the freeway, drawing criticism.
• Democratic Progressive Party candidate Su Chiao-hui did not seize the opening to attack him. Instead she came to his defence, saying there are many bus routes and it is perfectly normal for someone who rarely rides them not to remember the details.
• Su stressed that in high school she often took the 307 between school, cram school and home, using the occasion to highlight her familiarity with everyday life in New Taipei.
• She steered the conversation toward policy, pitching the bus network as the backbone of a tourism strategy that would link up hiking trails, old streets and scenic spots, keeping both visitors and their spending in New Taipei.
• Pressed by reporters on whether this meant Li was unfamiliar with municipal affairs, she still declined to take the bait, repeating only that it is normal not to remember routes.

Outlook: The contest for New Taipei mayor is likely to keep revolving in the near term around who better understands local life and transport infrastructure, with the two candidates' transport policies expected to become the next flashpoint.