Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province launches an electronic bus card on Jan 17. [Photo/hz66.com]

Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province launched electronic bus cards on Jan 17, according to local media reports.

E-card holders can enjoy the same preferential treatment as those with physical cards, according to local transportation authorities.

Residents can apply for the e-cards via Huzhou Zhangshangtong, an app developed by the city, and no deposit is required. They can also recharge or apply for cancellation via the platform.

The cards can also function as health codes. When passengers swipe the card, the machine reader on the bus will automatically identify and state the color of the heath code.

Those entitled to a 50-percent discount or more when taking the bus cannot apply for both physical cards and e-cards.

Residents can apply for e-cards via Huzhou Zhangshangtong, an app developed by the city, and no deposit is required. [Photo/hz66.com]