At the event (Photo: baogiaothong.vn)

On Sunday, the city’s Public Transport Management Centre offered free bus cards to the elderly and other priority populations in Thu Duc city.

The city’s smart ticket system, named UniPass, started its trial phase in 2019, carried out by the centre, Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) and Zion JSC.

It allows bus passengers to pay for their ride in two methods, either swiping their near-field communication (NFC) cards on the bus to transfer money from their UniPass account or using their smartphones to scan a QR code that provides them with payment details.

Ha Le An, deputy director of the centre, said this offer aimed to attract more users to public transport, reduce congestion and traffic accidents, and protect the environment. Elderly who have not yet registered to receive a free bus card could show their ID card for free travel on any public bus, he said.

An said the centre would promote the application of technology to better serve passengers, including the Go! Bus app for mobile devices. The app would help people easily find the nearest bus stop, update information on bus routes and bus arrival times, saving time and money, he said.