Trần Thị Phương Thảo, deputy director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management and Operation Centre, said that starting from August 22, the city has been receiving applications for cards which allow for free-of-charge use of public transport for these priority groups.
Children under the age of six are allowed to use bus for free without a card.
Those applying for the cards can submit their dossiers at nearly 50 bus ticket sales booths across the city.
Earlier, the Hanoi departments of Transport and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs issued documents guiding the issuance, management and free use of public transport across the city.
The bus passes will be valid within the year (until the end of December 31) for poor families and for up to five years from the day of issuance for other cases.
There are 700,000 elderly people in Hanoi and 64,000 poor people, according to Nguyễn Hoàng Hải, director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management and Operation Centre.
The new policy aims to encourage more people to use public transportation to limit the use of personal vehicles and ease congestion in the capital.
