KMB Launches Free Ride Days (Cross-Harbour Routes) for Senior Citizens in November and Promotes Healthcare Messages to the Elderly

The Senior Citizen’s Day will be held on 21 November 2021 (Sunday). KMB will actively participate in the event as usual by offering free rides to qualified senior citizens. This year, KMB takes one step forward. To express our gratitude to the senior citizens’ contributions to society, KMB will launch Free Ride Days (Cross-Harbour Routes) on the rest of seven Saturdays and Sundays in November. Furthermore, KMB will enhance the company’s elderly-caring actions. Apart from the donations of Caring Bus Stop Poles towards the caring home for the elderly, KMB also broadcasts healthcare videos for the elderly inside the compartments and at the bus stops on the bus information display panels for building an elderly-friendly community. 

Free Ride Days (Cross-Harbour Routes) for Senior Citizens in November

According to the Census and Statistics Department’s projection, the proportion of people aged 65 or above will increase from 20% to 33% in 2039. KMB announced that the company will offer qualified senior citizens Free Ride Days (Cross-Harbour Routes) on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 27 and 28 November to build an elderly-friendly community. The “Rebate-after-ride” arrangement allows, elderly can enjoy free rides on 81 cross-harbour routes operated by KMB. To obtain the fare rebate, the elderly have to register to become a member of club1933 in November with the number of their Elder Octopus card or other Elder Octopus product.

When the elderly take rides on the relevant buses with the Elder Octopus card on the dates above, they should pay the fare first. Then they can collect the fare rebate through the Octopus Service Points in different districts or via Octopus App after ten working days or within 30 days after the riding, or ten working days or within 30 days after registering their Octopus Card number on club1933, whichever is later.

For the Senior Citizen’s Day on 21 November, KMB will continue to offer free rides to the elderly on all routes¹.

Please refer to the appendix and promotional leaflet for more details.

Healthcare videos for the elderly

KMB will also broadcast healthcare videos for the elderly inside the compartments of our four-thousand-buses fleet in Hong Kong and on the display panels at every bus stop. The content includes healthcare information provided by invited doctors and specialists and healthcare tips. The new arrangement can remind elderly passengers to pay attention to their health conditions through the value-added riding journey.

Addie Lam, Assistant Director (Communications) (Acting) of KMB, said, “KMB provides safe and comfortable bus services to passengers. Meanwhile, we also attach great importance to corporate social responsibility by providing care for the elderly to build a community with love and support.”

KMB donates Caring Bus Stop Poles and provides hotline services to help look for missing elderly

KMB has been donating “Caring Bus Stop Poles” to the Elderly Health Centres and Residential Care Home for the Elderly since 2020. The donated facilities can help reduce the risk of wandering dementia patients and assist caring staff members in conducting training and treatment. A total of five service centres have been benefited from the scheme so far, including Caritas Harold H.W. Lee Care and Attention Home, Caritas Jockey Club Integrated Day Services Centre for the Elderly, Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association Buddhist Po Ching Care And Attention Home For The Aged Women, Lok Sin Tong Biu Chun Day Care Centre for the Elderly and TWGHs Jockey Club Blissful Villa. The TWGHs Jockey Club Blissful Villa said, “Occupational therapists and staff from Blissful Villa will wait for the bus with the elderly. They understand the elderly’s situation through chatting and will arrange appropriate treatment and training. We sincerely thanked KMB for the donation.”

To help look for the missing elderly suffering from dementia, KMB has enhanced the information system of the whole fleet. When the patient gets lost, the family can provide his or her number of the Elder Octopus card to KMB. Then KMB will commence the procedure. If the patient has used the relevant Octopus card for boarding, KMB’s system will notice the Bus Captain immediately to take care of the elderly.

The KMB Customer Service Hotline has also made corresponding arrangements. A shortcut key has been added to the hotline for families to contact KMB for assistance.

Moreover, KMB also works with the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing to produce cards and promotional items. The products can remind and encourage the family members of the elderly to record the number of Elder Octopus cards for emergency needs.

¹Except Routes P960 and P968

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