"Let's take our time, get on the bus and find a good seat, and we will leave the bus only after everyone gets on the bus and sits......" At the bus station of Pangu Village, Etang Town, Hezhou City, the 19th bus full of passengers slowly drove out, and the driver Liu Mingzhao patiently told the old people to pay attention to walking and sitting firmly on the bus, and waiting for the old people to sit firmly on the seats, the bus slowly started to start.
The elderly who travel by bus in Hezhou.
Bus No. 19 passes through 7 administrative villages in Hezhou City, smoothing the "last kilometer" of 20,000 people along the line. Most of the passengers on the bus were rural elderly people who didn't go out much before. Nowadays, with the convenience of public transportation, they have become a "new force" of consumption.
63-year-old Pan Yamei, a frequent passenger of the No. 19 bus, is happy when it comes to entering the city: "We have really caught up with the good times!" In the past, it was not convenient to take a car, but now all buses are driven into the village, and you can also sit for free, and it is more and more convenient to go out, go to the town to catch the market, go to the city to visit the supermarket, go to other villages to visit relatives, and I also signed up for the university for the elderly in the city...... Life is really getting better and better! ”
In recent years, Hezhou City has started from the "micro" reform, continuously improved the barrier-free transportation services for the elderly, actively promoted the free public transportation and preferential treatment policies for the elderly, and became the first districted city in the district to realize that the elderly over 60 years old can take buses for free in the urban area. According to statistics, since 2019, the number of free bus trips for the elderly over 60 years old in Hezhou City has averaged about 2.52 million per year, and from 2019 to 2024, a total of 5 million yuan has been exempted from the ride fee for the elderly.
In order to facilitate the rapid identification of the elderly and realize free rides with the card, on September 6, 2022, Hezhou City held a ceremony for the issuance of the "Respect for the Elderly Card" in the urban area. At the issuance site of the "Respect for the Elderly Card", 65-year-old Cai Lejin said very happily: "I applied for the Respect for the Elderly Card for the first time in Hezhou City, and now it is much more convenient to take the bus with this card." So far, the city has issued a total of 63,000 cards for the elderly, and after receiving the "senior card", seniors who have reached the age of 60 can use it to ride the bus for free.
Not only that, the transportation department of Hezhou City has also added free bus lines for the elderly in Zhongshan County, Zhaoping County, Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County and other 3 counties, and there are currently 30 major bus lines covering 5 counties and districts in the city that can be ridden for free with the "Respect for the Elderly Card". At the same time, through the WeChat public account, Changxing Hezhou APP and other platform carriers for the elderly and the disabled, it provides real-time public transport status inquiries, and opens and operates the 95128 car-hailing service telephone, so that the elderly can enjoy the "peace of mind car-hailing" service, and travel is more convenient, simpler and more intimate.
In order to extend care and warmth, so that the elderly are more willing to travel, the Hezhou transportation department has also opened a bus line for the elderly. The same is free for the elderly over 60 years old, and the "Elderly Bus" pays more attention to the travel experience of the elderly, and improves the travel experience of the elderly bit by bit.
Villagers of Fuxi Village, Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, Hezhou City, took the new energy "bus for the elderly".
"The vehicles of the 'Suitable for the Elderly' are specially customized, using low-floor barrier-free access new energy models, and elderly passengers do not need to cross steps when walking in the front and rear parts of the carriage, which can better avoid the elderly from falling. There is also a special barrier-free space in the carriage, which can accommodate two wheelchairs at the same time, and each wheelchair parking area is equipped with a seat belt for securing the wheelchair. Mo Zhenwei, general manager of Hezhou Public Transport Co., Ltd., introduced.
Promotional slogans on "Age-Friendly Buses".
As a dedicated line for the elderly, the service for the elderly cannot be left behind. Soft leather seats are used on the "Age-Friendly Bus" to make the elderly sit more comfortably. Slogans such as "the elderly give priority to the bus", "convey warmth and care for the elderly" and "please pay attention to the elderly when they get off the bus" are pasted inside and outside the car, so that passengers can feel a strong atmosphere of respecting and loving the elderly. "I have to sit on this bus line every day when I go home, and the seats are very comfortable, and the font on the bus is bigger, so I can see it more clearly." 68-year-old Zhang Yiping's mother-in-law said with satisfaction.
Convenient medicine box on the "old bus".
In order to ensure the safety of elderly passengers, the "bus for the elderly" is equipped with a convenient box equipped with magnifying glasses, masks, and commonly used medicines for the elderly, and more than 10 commonly used emergency medicines such as band-aids, cool oil, and Huoxiang Zhengqi water are placed in the medicine bag. Hezhou Public Transport Company selects star drivers to drive age-appropriate buses, and focuses on the use of emergency kits, emergency disposal, civilized services and other content to carry out training, requiring drivers to start and stop smoothly enough, and the service is more patient and careful. "Usually, I have to check the convenience box often to see if the contents of the box are complete, and if there is any missing, I must make up for it in time. In driving, we also have to achieve the 'four slows': slow start, slow turning, slow stopping, slow tone, and care more for the elderly. Zeng Yong, a driver with 10 years of driving experience, said.
The sunset is infinitely good, and the world is sunny at night. The "Age-Friendly Bus" makes the "Silver-Friendly Society" visible and tangible, reflecting the fireworks and human touch of a city. "Making the road smooth, safe, and comfortable for the elderly is a necessary move to cope with aging, and it is also the responsibility of our transportation department. In the future of urban services, we will pay more attention to the warm-hearted ferry such as 'suitable bus for the elderly', so that the elderly can travel more at ease and at ease." Deng Ling, deputy director of the Hezhou Municipal Transportation Bureau, said.
Photo: Mao Junren Hou Hua