Get on a city bus on any given work day and, chances are, everyone on the bus looks miserable. Commuting to work via public transportation sucks, but what if there was a way to fix that? Well, one city might have figured it out.
In Taipei, Taiwan, a new city bus designed by florist Alfie Lin is roaming the streets decorated as a lush forest on wheels. Orchids, ginger lilies and ferns cover every square inch of what once was an ordinary bus, treating commuters to a relaxing escape on their way around Taipei.
I hope the public will feel that it's a beautiful and interesting experience," Lin told the Agence France-Presse. "They can smell the scent of summer on the bus and see the vibrant green plants to feel messages from nature."
The forest bus, as people have come to call it, is currently operating on a special route. Passengers can board the toll-free bus in Taiwan's capital and take it to various locations, all of which were picked because of the mood they represent. Some stops include a night market, an art museum and a temple.
When the bus started running at the end of May, it was scheduled to only operate for a week. Since starting, people's reactions to the forest bus have been overwhelmingly positive. Prospective passengers have started lining up early in the morning, hoping to snag one of the 20 seats on the bus's route. This has some people optimistic that the forest bus might be used beyond its scheduled last day this Sunday.
"I feel happy and relaxed on the bus smelling the flowers and plants," passenger Celine Wei said. "I hope it can become a regular service on a double-decker. It would become something special to Taipei."