Starting from the 16th, '5-Day Weekly System' Issuance for Those Aged 75 and Over
'Physical Cards' Available at Eup, Myeon, Dong Administrative Welfare Centers
From July 1, Applicable to City Buses + Urban Rail
For the first time nationwide, a transportation card that allows seniors to use urban rail and city buses for free will be issued in Daegu.
Daegu City announced on the 11th that starting from May 16, integrated free transportation cards will be issued at the administrative welfare centers in the towns, townships, and neighborhoods of the registered address, including Gunwi County, in preparation for the implementation of ‘Integrated Free Ride for Seniors on Public Transportation (Urban Rail, City Bus)’ from July 1.
To ride city buses and urban rail for free, seniors must obtain an ‘Integrated Free Transportation Card’ and tag it on the transportation card terminal when boarding and alighting.
This year, the issuance target for the integrated free transportation card is seniors aged 75 and older (born before July 1, 1948). There are two types of cards: physical cards and mobile cards.
For physical cards, from the 16th, seniors can visit the administrative welfare center in their registered town, township, or neighborhood in person, verify their identity, and fill out a consent form to receive the integrated free transportation card immediately on site.
Front and back design of the integrated free transportation card. The front features a design symbolizing the Ten Longevity Symbols, wishing for the health of the elderly, while the back contains precautions for card usage.
There are three types of consent forms: a personal information usage consent form, a consent form agreeing to a one-year suspension of use in case of fraudulent use of the integrated free transportation card, and a consent form to deactivate the transportation card function of the existing urban rail free ride card.
Also, to facilitate smooth application and issuance, a five-day rotation system based on the ‘birth month’ on the resident registration is implemented, so applicants should visit the administrative welfare center on the designated day of the week.
The schedule is Monday (born in January or February), Tuesday (March or April), Wednesday (May, June, or July), Thursday (August, September, or October), and Friday (November or December).
Mobile cards can be issued immediately by installing the ‘Senior Integrated Free Transportation Card App’ on a smartphone, registering as a member, verifying identity, and completing the consent forms.
However, applicants must choose and receive either a physical card or a mobile card only. If both a physical card and a mobile card are issued, the card issued first cannot be used, so caution is required.
Also, the initial issuance is free, but if reissued due to personal negligence such as loss or damage, a fee of 3,000 KRW must be paid. If the senior integrated free transportation card is transferred to others or used fraudulently, usage will be suspended for one year.
With the implementation of this integrated free transportation support project for seniors, free rides are now available not only on urban rail but also on all 122 public transportation routes including city buses.
The integrated free transportation support target will start at age 75 this year and will be lowered by one year annually, so that by 2028, seniors aged 70 and older will be able to use city buses (including Gyeongsan and Yeongcheon) and urban rail for free.
Choi Jaewon, head of the Bus Operation Division of Daegu City, said, “At the beginning of the integrated free transportation card issuance application, administrative welfare centers may be very crowded and waiting times may be long, so we recommend applying in June rather than May if possible, and please strictly follow the five-day rotation issuance schedule.”
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