All-inclusive transport services to aid passengers

The Ministry of Transport issued a notice on Friday on stepping up efforts to innovate the customized services of passenger transport, requiring transport authorities across the country to strengthen collaboration with culture and tourism departments.

According to the notice, the move was aimed to fully leverage the fundamental, connecting and supportive role of road passenger transport in the comprehensive transportation service system, and accelerate its transformation so as to better meet people's needs for quality travel.

The notice said that operators of customized passenger buses should be encouraged to cooperate with scenic spots and other tourist attractions in terms of setting up stops near these places and opening customized passenger lines for tourists to reach tourist destinations directly.

The operators are also encouraged to work with scenic spots, travel agencies, hotels and others to provide all-inclusive services that cover from bus tickets to admission fees and hotel costs, it said.

The notice said that customized passenger transport should explore cooperation with large hospitals, residential communities, central business districts, industrial parks and supermarkets to meet the diversified travel needs of different groups of people.

Traceability to ensure safety in medical system

The National Healthcare Security Administration said in a notice on Friday that the public will be able to access the traceability information of drugs covered by the country's basic national medical insurance by the end of June next year, as the authorities work to ensure public medication safety.

According to the notice, the collection and application of drug traceability information involves multiple stages such as drug production, distribution and use, so such information was not available to customers until the National Healthcare Security Administration started to promote such efforts through its cooperation with insurance-designated medical institutions.

The administration said it is working with human resources and social security, national health and medical products departments to promote the collection of traceability information of drugs covered by medical insurance and also those used for occupational injuries.

It can be foreseen that the number of medical insurance drugs and consumables without traceability information will decrease, and public medication safety will be effectively guaranteed, the administration said.

Allowance set aside for disaster-affected people

Chinese authorities have earmarked 5.27 billion yuan ($733.5 million) to support efforts aimed at ensuring that disaster-affected people remain warm this winter, according to a statement on Friday.

The fund, jointly allocated by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management, is designated to support local governments in helping people affected by natural disasters during the winter and spring seasons — with a focus on providing comfortable living conditions.

Local governments are required to strengthen the supervision of relief funds and ensure that financial support is distributed in a timely manner in accordance with policies and regulations.

The National Climate Center forecasts that during this winter, which runs from December to February 2025, temperatures in most parts of the country will be close to or higher than the average of previous years, but while also noting that extreme temperature drops may occur in December.