A New Taipei city council candidate in Banqiao is pitching small community shuttle buses to fill gaps left by big bus routes — good news for residents in newer neighborhoods far from the nearest station.

• The plan, called the Huanhe Line community bus, would use 9-seat minivans and shared-taxi style shuttles that fit narrow neighborhood streets.
• It would start in the fast-growing Jiangcui North area along the Dahan River, serving daily trips to work, school, hospitals and shops.
• On weekends the route could flex to link the 435 Art Zone, and later tie into the planned national children's museum.
• The idea is framed as adding to, not replacing, existing routes like the 307 — big buses on main roads, small buses inside neighborhoods.
• The pitch follows a public flap over a New Taipei mayoral candidate misdescribing the 307 route, which put local transit gripes back in the spotlight.

Outlook: Any trial would depend on winning a council seat, with resident surveys and actual ridership data deciding whether it sticks.