At present, patients having certain illnesses (such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases) require oxygen therapy and therefore have to carry oxygen cylinders, which contain compressed oxygen, for self-medical use when travelling. Under the "Transport for All" policy objective, the Government is committed to providing appropriate public transport services for members of the public with different needs, including persons who require oxygen therapy and therefore need to bring along compressed oxygen cylinders for self-medical use when travelling.
The amended Public Bus Services Regulations commences operation on 1 January 2020, allowing access to franchised buses for persons carrying compressed oxygen cylinders for self-medical use when travelling, provided that the total number of compressed oxygen cylinders for self-medical use on board each bus does not exceed two. Under the amended Regulations, a passenger may bring onto a bus compressed oxygen cylinder(s) required for his/her own medical use if the following conditions are met before paying any fare –
| (a) |
the passenger shows that the compressed oxygen is required for his/her own medical use when travelling by inhaling the oxygen through a nasal cannula or oxygen mask connected to the cylinder; |
| (b) |
the passenger advises the driver of the number of compressed oxygen cylinders that he/she is carrying; and |
| (c) |
after declaring the number of compressed oxygen cylinders that he/she is carrying, the passenger has not been advised by the driver that the total number of oxygen cylinders on board the bus will exceed two if he/she brings the oxygen cylinder(s) onto the bus. |
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