A senior citizen taps her bus pass, on a scanner that can look up her health QR code and determine whether she has taken a nucleic acid test within the past 48 hours. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The Hangzhou Public Transport Group has recently updated its bus pass system to enable people without smart phones to have their health QR codes checked simply by tapping the pass against a scanner on the bus, local media outlets reported.

The new system was designed for senior citizens, students, and visually-impaired people who don't own or are unable to use smart phones.

When a bus pass is tapped, the scanner will automatically transmit users' information to an online database and check their health QR codes and whether they have taken nucleic acid tests within the past 48 hours.

If the user's health QR code is green and they have taken a nucleic acid test within 48 hours, a voice saying "senior citizen card" or "student card" will sound from the scanner.

If the use's health QR code is not green (meaning it is yellow or red), the scanner will sound an alarm, and if the health QR code is green but the person hasn't taken a nucleic acid test, the scanner will say "invalid code". In these cases, people will not be allowed to board the bus.

A senior citizen taps his bus pass as he boards a bus. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]