Liu Kai is one of Shanghai's bus drivers.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

ON SUNDAY, Shanghai officially cancelled the senior citizen transport cards for residents aged 70 or above, which allowed them to use the city's buses and subways for free. As observed on the day, this significantly reduced the number of elderly passengers using public transport. China Youth Daily commented on Tuesday:

As one of the important measures to respect the elderly residents in the city, Shanghai's free travel card for senior citizens has been welcomed. However, with the city's rapid growth and the aging society, Shanghai's transport system has appeared increasingly cramped and crowded, and more conflicts for seats between the young and the old have occurred during rush hours.

Even though some people have called for the elderly to avoid using public transport during peak hours, this has not happened. This must be government policy to allocate public resources and ease the pressure on the roads.

Shanghai, the first Chinese city daring to take the initiative, has showcased its courage by taking action. The confidence of the local government comes from the strong support of a comprehensive system of allowances for the elderly.

According to some reports, since May 1, senior citizens have enjoyed a packaged monthly allowance ranging from 75 yuan ($11) to 600 yuan. This has been the basis of the announcement of a freeze on senior citizens riding for free on public transport.

But the win-win subsidy policy of Shanghai may not be duplicated in other Chinese cities, which may lack the strong support of financial resources. According to reports, the Shanghai elderly comprehensive allowance system involves 2.6 million people and costs the city 4.5 billion yuan.