Plans to lower age bar for cabby health checks delayed to second half of year

‘The government is reviewing the views of various stakeholders to finalise the details,’ spokesman says as series of accidents involving elderly cabbies trigger concerns

Hong Kong authorities have delayed plans to lower the age threshold for mandatory medical certification for taxi and other commercial vehicle drivers, as well as to require annual check-ups, with legislative proposals now expected in the second half of the year.

“The government is carefully reviewing the views of various stakeholders to finalise the details and refine the legislative proposals,” a Transport Department spokesman said in response to the South China Morning Post on Thursday.

He added that the government would continue to actively advance the drafting of the law and related preparatory work.

The proposed amendments came under the spotlight again after a 70-year-old taxi driver lost control of his vehicle and drove onto a pavement in Ngau Tau Kok on Wednesday, killing a woman and seriously injuring another.

A source said officers suspected the driver was unable to stop the vehicle in time due to a brake failure.

A spokesman for the Hospital Authority said four victims injured in the crash remained hospitalised at two public hospitals on Thursday. A 31-year-old woman was in critical condition, a 62-year-old man and woman were in serious condition, and a 70-year-old man was stable.

The proposal floated earlier by the government would lower the age threshold for mandatory medical certification for commercial vehicle drivers from 70 to 65 and shorten the validity of their driving licences to one year, requiring annual check-ups for renewal.