ALL senior citizens above 65 years old will be entitled to free rides on buses and Metro trains in Shenzhen starting Aug. 1, the municipal communications bureau announced yesterday.

At present, only female citizens above the age of 65 and male citizens above 70 are entitled to free use of public transportation.

The bureau lowered the threshold for male citizens to “show respect to senior citizens,” said a bureau spokesman.

To avail of the free rides, seniors should apply for a “free-ride card” from the government, according to the communications bureau.

In another development, the municipal communications bureau is seeking public suggestions on 10 new daytime bus routes and five nighttime bus routes which will open soon.

Most of the night routes connect Luohu District with Buji in Longgang District. Two of the day routes link the newly built Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint with downtown Shenzhen. (Helen Deng, Xu Juehui)