Health checks on older Hong Kong taxi drivers should be ‘targeted’: experts

Compulsory health checks to evaluate the driving ability of Hong Kong cabbies should be targeted to cover their cognitive skills and take into account medications, with clearer guidelines on specific conditions, industry experts have said.

Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said on Monday that more regular health screenings for drivers aged 65 or above should be conducted, with specific and comprehensive tests, before they could renew their licences.

“We could introduce cognitive assessments because seniors might be weaker in their cognitive abilities for driving,” Lee told a radio programme, adding that those who only passed a physical examination might not necessarily be fit to drive long hours professionally.

Authorities have faced renewed calls for stricter health checks on older cabbies after a Filipino tourist was killed last week by a taxi driven by an 80-year-old.

On Saturday, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan pledged to tighten requirements through legislation no later than the first quarter of next year.

Under current regulations, only those aged 70 or older are required to submit health reports, while their driving licences can be renewed for up to three years. The fitness certification covers aspects such as a driver’s eyesight and hearing, skeletal and muscular system, balance and coordination, and mental state, among others.