Give kids full subway concessions
Updated: 2014-10-22 08:05
(China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
The Beijing local government has decided to allow children up to 1.3 meters tall - increased from 1.2 meters - to travel free on the subway. This is a welcome move, which will help parents of tens of thousands of children in the city to save some money, says an article of the guancha.gmw.cn. Excerpts:
From 1975 to 2005, the average height of boys aged six years in China increased from 112.3 centimeters to 118.7 cm and that of girls, from 111.5 cm to 117.7 cm. This shows that, over the past 30 years, Chinese children's average height has increased by 6 cm.
The Beijing local government's move is especially welcome because the last revision on subway fares for children was done in 2005 and the latest move reflects the development of the times.
Local governments in other parts of China also should reconsider allowing children less of 1.3 m tall to travel free on the subway. After all, the benchmark was set years ago.
In 2010, the Ministry of Railways, which was dissolved three years later, announced that children up to 1.2m tall - against the existing 1.10m - could travel free on trains. A year later, the Shanghai local government raised the height from 1.2 m to 1.3 m. Now it is time for the country to comprehensively revise the national standard to suit social realities.
Related Stories
Subway users see 5 yuan as maximum fare 2014-10-15 09:03
Pros and cons of higher subway fares 2014-10-15 08:30
Beijing subway fares likely to double 2014-10-14 09:27
Beijing to change flat rate subway fares 2014-09-24 08:54
Today's Top News
Hebei to lower emissions during APEC conference
Step up the battle against HIV/AIDS, urges first lady
PBOC official gets ready 'to assume helm' at ABC
Russian FM sees long standoff with US
Violence kills a child every five minutes
Blast rocks Donetsk in east Ukraine, no deaths reported
Tourists set to travel light overseas
Police hunt for elephant killer
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Sea change |
'Old newcomers' |
General aviation hub reaches for the sky |
Endangered species threatens livelihoods |
Chinese mavericks set to amaze racing world |
Helping them breathing |