Singaporeans aged 60 and above will soon get to enjoy the perks of being a senior citizen.
The multi-purpose PAssion Silver Concession Card launched on Sunday, December 4, will serve as a common identifier for seniors and is an initiative under the Government’s Action Plan for Successful Ageing.
It will offer concession rates on public transport and discounts on items ranging from groceries to plane tickets.
Gan Kim Yong, the Health Minister and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee on ageing, said at the launch: “I wish that with this card, more seniors can be encouraged to go out, have fun, learn new things and enjoy life”.
It is the product of a collaboration involving the Health and Transport ministries and the PA, with support from the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Business Federation.
Senior citizens who want to use the card for transport must activate it by the end of May at a Transit Link ticket office, by producing their identity card or existing concession card.
Temporary booths will also be set up at selected train stations and bus interchanges to make activation more convenient for seniors.
PA deputy chairman and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing hopes that in the years ahead, more government agencies will join in this effort to integrate services for the elderly population.
This will allow them to access all the PA card programme’s privileges, except for the concessionary transport fares and the activation of longer crossing times at selected pedestrian crossings.
All seniors who turn 60 by Jan 31, 2017, will receive their cards by the end of March. About 135,000 citizens who do not currently hold a senior citizen concession card, but are born before Feb 1, 1957, will receive a letter by the end of next month inviting them to submit their photograph so that they can receive the new card. Even if they fail to apply within the timeline stated, they will still get a non-concession PAssion Silver card.
