43% jump in elderly taxi drivers involved in accidents in Hong Kong since 2022

The number of elderly taxi drivers involved in accidents in Hong Kong has increased by more than 40 per cent since 2022, prompting some industry leaders to ask if tighter regulations are needed to assess the fitness of older cabbies to ensure safety.

Some taxi drivers also hoped the government would subsidise the fees for their medical check-ups in the event that tightened regulations were implemented.

According to figures supplied by the Transport Department to legislators, the number of taxi drivers aged 70 or above who were involved in traffic accidents had risen from 454 in 2022 to 626 in 2023, and further to 651 last year, an increase of 43.4 per cent.

In the first two months of this year, 95 elderly taxi drivers were involved in traffic accidents.

The department figures did not reflect the seriousness of the accidents.

A similar increase was also recorded for taxi drivers aged 60 to 69. In 2022, 1,446 of those in this age group were involved in traffic accidents. The number rose to 1,879 in 2023 and 2,021 last year, representing a 40 per cent rise over the three years.