Starting from Jan 2, people aged 65 and above can take buses for free in Haimen, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province.

Officials said that those who do not have a local hukou, or household registration, can also enjoy the policy.

In recently years, the local government has been optimizing measures to benefit senior residents. Before the new policy was launched, free buses were only accessible to people aged 70 and above with local hukou, while those aged between 60 and 69 could enjoy a 50 percent discount.

According to a spokesman of the city's transport bureau, Haimen has been leading Nantong in providing preferential transportation policies to seniors.

The new policy is expected to benefit more than 80,000 senior residents. Those who are eligible can apply for longevity cards at Haimen Bus Station and Chengdong Bus Station. A two-inch ID photo and the ID card of the applicant are required.

The working time at Haimen Bus Station is 7:30am to 11am and 1:30pm to 5pm from Monday to Saturday, while that at Chengdong Bus Station is 7:30am to 11am and 1:30pm to 5pm from Monday to Friday.