No More Free Rides-Rational Policy or Lack of Empathy?

By taking advantage of their senior citizen card， elderly residents in shanghai over 70 used to be able to take the bus and the subway for free， but this favorable policy was discontinued on June 25.

instead， starting from the same month， senior shanghai citizens - over 65 and with permanent residency - were eligible for a new monthly subsidy ranging from 75 to 600 yuan（$11-90）， according to different age groups. About 2.8 million people will benefit from the new policy while still being able to use their senior citizen cards to enjoy free admission to six city parks.

Aiming to ease the pressure on shanghais transportation system， the new policy has been hailed by many young citizens， who blame senior card holders for making buses even more crowded during rush hours. But it was also met with criticism in a country which has a long moral tradition of respecting and taking care of the elderly.

Meanwhile， many chinese cities are considering following the lead of shanghai.

PRO

Editorial Wenzhou Economic Daily

The free-bus-ride policy had many disadvantages. First， it limited the options available for older people to move around the city. The policy could only be used on buses and subways， which are already over-crowded. So elderly people undoubtedly chose them as of result of this financial incentive. According to statistics， since the free-bus-ride policy for the elderly over 70 was launched in Shanghai in 2009， the number of senior bus passengers has been increasing. In 2015， senior citizens accounted for 10.6 percent of total bus passengers with over 400，000 of them taking the bus every day.

Second， to some extent， it was an unfair policy， because it provided no help to those who have difficulty walking or have no intention of going out often. Meanwhile， it also raised the cost of public transportation management， as some older people took the bus only to make full use of their card.

China has become an aging society and elderly passengers will continue to grow in numbers. The new policy can ease traffic pressure and better meet the demands of different groups.

CON

Kang Zhuang Scholar

Discontinuing the free-busride policy for the elderly is unacceptable. It is contrary to the basic norms and eth- ics of a modern society. In a harmonious society， the weak should be helped and the old respected.

As more people concentrate in cities， especially megacities， the gap between supply and demand for public resources has become a common problem around the world. But this new policy is at odds with the traditional Chinese ethic of “respecting the old and cherishing the young，” and turns a blind eye to the contribution that older generations have made to society.

Of course， in order to ease transportation pressure， we could encourage senior citizens to avoid rush hours， but the fundamental solution is to promote the development of our public transport system， improving its capacity and service level. Before the capacity can meet social demand， we should call for understanding and empathy， instead of having the young and the old blame each other.

PRO

qiao Shan Legal Daily

Providing care for the elderly is the obligation of a society and the bounden duty of the government. In that regard， efforts have been made on the part of local governments， and bus rides have been made available free of charge for the elderly in many cities. We must strengthen such efforts， but it is worth pointing out that care provided to the elderly should also develop and evolve with time. Peoples needs change over time according to social progress， and so should government policies on elderly care. Shanghai just set a good example by replacing a public service with subsidies.

This policy change does not mean less care for the elderly， but a different way to provide it. Young people should be reminded not to misunderstand this policy change. They should always keep in mind that respect for the elderly is a fundamental value of our society.

PRO

Tang Jiachen Beijing Times

Free public service for the elderly is a policy applied in many Chinese cities. While it seems to be in line with the traditional Chinese culture of respecting the elderly， in fact， it reduces the efficiency of public resources allocation. Offering services free of charge creates unnecessary needs， which then tilt the balance of supply and demand even further. But this problem can be avoided by replacing the free-busride policy with a monetary subsidy. According to media reports， the number of elderly passengers decreased significantly after the new policy was introduced.

As China is becoming an aging society， its transportation system will be facing increasing pressure. Thats the reason why people in many cities have called for discontinuing the free-bus-ride policy for senior citizens. But obviously， few city adminis- trators have the courage to put this idea into practice. In that case， we should applaud Shanghai for this reform.

CON

Guang Da Netizen

With or without free tickets， older people need to go out and will take the bus anyway. Is the free-bus-ride policy for elderly people really the reason of increased traffic pressure？ Social and city management is a complicated issue which requires scientific methods. The solution should not be as simple as discontinuing a favorable policy for senior citizens. Otherwise， why do we need so many officials for city management？ Its not right to blame everything on the elderly.

CON

li Cansen Shenzhen Evening News

We should all know that the reason why the government provided free bus rides to the elderly is not because they do not have enough money for bus tickets. The real purpose behind this policy is to encourage elderly people to be active. Apparently， elderly people often going out for activities are healthier than those staying at home all the time. In that case， a free-bus-ride policy plays a significant role in improving the life quality and the health condition of the elderly. Therefore， it helped to reduce the burden on the country and society.

When elderly people are in bad health， young people are the most affected， because they have to give up their job to take care of their parents or pay expensive medical bills. When elderly people prefer staying at home， the consequences are much worse than just crowded buses.

By discontinuing the free-bus-ride policy for the elderly， we might lose its long-term positive impact. Of course， it can be a delaying tactic against a serious shortage of public resources， but it is not a real solution to the problem.