SINGAPORE - All national servicemen (NSmen) can travel for free on public buses and trains on June 30 if they don their uniforms, as part of the year-long NS50 campaign.

Calling it the "NS50 Free Travel Day", the gesture is meant to thank NSmen for their contributions, said SMRT, SBS Transit, Tower Transit and Go-Ahead Singapore in a joint statement on Monday (June 19).

There is no limit to the number of free rides that NSmen can take on June 30. The free travel period applies only for services operated by the four public transport firms. It starts from the first bus and train service from June 30 and ends with the last service that day, including Nite Owl and NightRider services, said the statement.

SMRT's president and group chief executive officer Desmond Kuek said: "As we celebrate NS50, free travel on 30 June will provide a boost to NS50 activities held across Singapore."

Past and present NSmen can ride for free so long as they are wearing their uniforms - the No. 3 or No. 4 uniforms for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen and duty uniforms for Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) servicemen - for verification purposes.

NSmen wearing older uniforms which has been phased out, such as the Temasek Green uniform, are also eligible.

With public transport operators already prioritising security of commuters and transport facilities, they can "fully appreciate the even bigger responsibility" to national security by NSmen, said Tower Transit group chief executive Adam Leishman.

Managing director of Go-Ahead Singapore David Cutts added: "We express our appreciation towards both past and present national servicemen for their invaluable contributions to the country and nation-building.

"This gesture of providing them complimentary travel on our bus services is a small token of our thanks."