Hong Kong to water down proposed health checks for elderly commercial drivers – reports

A proposed health review mechanism for elderly commercial drivers is set to be watered down, scrapping the annual checkup requirement, according to local media.

Taxis in Wan Chai. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Instead, the government’s proposal will allow commercial vehicle drivers aged 65 to renew their driving licences for three years after passing a health check, HK01 reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

When the three years are up, the drivers can take another health exam, which, if passed, would give them a two-year licence. The previously proposed annual health checks will only kick in when the driver is 70 years old.

Currently, all drivers – including taxi drivers – aged over 70 must provide the Transport Department with a medical examination certificate completed by a registered medical practitioner at least once every three years.

The government previously said that it would adjust the age threshold from 70 to 65, requiring annual health exams instead of a check every three years, and that commercial vehicle licences, which are tied to the health check results, would accordingly be valid for one year until the drivers pass the exam.

Traffic accidents involving elderly drivers in recent years have prompted calls for heightened scrutiny and stricter health checks.

Undersecretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san told the legislature last month that the government plans to enact the new rules in mid-2027.

Taxis in Wan Chai. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

“The Government is finalising the legislative details while proactively taking forward the law drafting and relevant preparatory work, with the target of reporting the latest progress of work in this respect to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport in July this year,” he said.

Along with the new regulations, authorities will also establish a register of doctors suitable for the health checks, he said.

Taxi accidents

The government is expected to table its proposal to the Legislative Council as soon as Friday, Ming Pao reported. The newspaper also cited official figures saying that 2,345 of the 4,984 taxi drivers who got into traffic accidents last year were above the age of 60.

According to Transport Department data, taxi drivers aged 60 and above were responsible for 2,673 road accidents in 2024, accounting for almost 47 per cent of the taxi-related accidents that year.

To Sun-tong, vice director of the taxi branch of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, told HKFP last year that he supported proposals for a standardised health check every two years but rejected suggestions for a mandatory retirement age.

Just last week, a 63-year-old taxi driver died in a head-on collision with a bus on Hiram’s Highway towards Sai Kung. Last month, a 69-year-old cabbie rammed into a 34-year-old woman, killing her.

In May, a 70-year-old taxi driver lost control of his vehicle, which mounted the pavement and rammed into pedestrians, killing one woman and seriously injuring four.