日常與新疫常：臺北捷運潔淨想像與清潔實作

Abstract

臺北捷運在臺灣塑造了現代化城市的移動典範與想像，強調潔淨穩定的搭乘環境和四通八達之便捷。然此想像如何為「清潔勞動」所支持卻少有討論。過往研究多聚焦於技術面向，或捷運如何形塑城市空間與乘車文化，較少關注基層員工，尤其是以派遣身分工作的清潔人員。即便已有部分文獻觸及清潔勞動，對於如臺北捷運這類具備縝密排程與作業規範的運輸系統中，如何安置清潔工作仍少有討論。 本文從基礎設施維護的視角出發，透過新聞資料、防疫經驗與訪談，觀察北捷在日常與防疫常態下如何維持乾淨。探討捷運清潔實作如何支撐其現代化與進步的想像，關注潔淨如何轉化成為規章制度上的乾淨標準，透過日常勞動與驗收過程中的協商得以維持，並分析疫情期間清潔程序的變化。 捷運清潔工作除了例行清掃，也涉及即時調度與人力安排，更計畫外地替整個城市承擔垃圾處理與公共廁所功能。清潔成果不僅依賴制度化指標，也需根據現場情況與個人判斷加以調整。清潔人員時而隱身於背景，有時又會因髒污出現而現身。疫情期間，潔淨要求提升至排除風險的層級，清潔實作也被凸顯為防疫宣傳題材。乘客的搭乘、觀看、投訴與對乾淨的期待，也影響清潔程序與清潔人員的現身時機。 基礎設施運作高度仰賴容易被忽略的清潔勞動，透過本文分析，清潔支撐了以潔淨為名的現代化生活。潔淨的想像在實務上經過多方協商與現實考量，轉變成可驗收的乾淨。在外包體制下的清潔人員，穿梭在隱身與現身的勞動過程中，承載日常運作與形象維繫的責任。在Covid-19疫情下這樣的清潔日常過渡到以防疫措施為主的新疫常，成為疫情期間的重點，而這樣的現身卻未改善清潔勞動在結構中的處境。因此，有必要凸顯基礎設施中清潔勞動的重要性與專業，使其貢獻不在隱沒於日常運作之中。

The Taipei Metro system has established a paradigm of modern urban mobility in Taiwan, yet the cleaning labor essential to sustaining its image of cleanliness and stability remains under-discussed. While previous studies focus on technology or urban space, less attention is paid to the frontline cleaners working under outsourcing systems. Even within existing literature on labor, few have explored how cleaning is situated within a transportation network defined by such rigorous scheduling and operational protocols. Drawing from the perspective of infrastructure maintenance, this paper utilizes news archives, pandemic experiences, and interviews to examine how the Taipei Metro maintains cleanliness in both daily operations and the pandemic "new normal." It explores how cleaning practices support the imagination of modernity and progress, focusing on how the concept of "purity" is translated into institutional standards of "cleanliness" maintained through daily labor and negotiation during inspections. Beyond routine cleaning, MRT sanitation involves real-time dispatching and human resource management, unexpectedly absorbing the city's broader needs for waste disposal and public restroom facilities. The results of these efforts depend not only on institutional indicators but also on situational adjustments and individual judgment. Cleaners fluctuate between being backgrounded in invisibility and becoming visible when "dirt" appears. During the pandemic, cleanliness requirements escalated to risk elimination, and cleaning practices were highlighted as a theme for public health propaganda. This analysis reveals that infrastructure relies heavily on often-overlooked cleaning labor to sustain modern life. Through multi-party negotiations, the abstract imagination of "purity" is transformed into verifiable "cleanliness." Under the outsourcing system, cleaners navigate the tension between invisibility and presence, bearing the burden of both daily operations and image maintenance. Although the pandemic transitioned these routines into a pandemic "new normal", this heightened visibility has not improved the structural conditions of cleaning labor. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the professional importance of cleaners to ensure their contributions are no longer obscured by daily operations.