According to local media, a proposed health review mechanism for older commercial drivers is set to be scaled back, removing the annual check-up requirement.
Instead, the government’s proposal will allow commercial vehicle drivers aged 65 to renew their driving license for three years after passing a health check, HK01 reported on Thursday, citing unidentified sources.
At the end of the three years, drivers can undergo another health test, which if they pass will be granted a two-year license. The previously proposed annual health checks will only start when the driver is 70 years old.
Currently, all drivers – including taxi drivers – aged over 70 must provide the Department for Transport with a medical examination certificate completed by a registered medical practitioner at least once every three years.
The government previously said 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 licenses, which are linked to health check results, would be valid for a year until drivers pass the test.
Traffic accidents involving elderly drivers in recent years have prompted calls for increased scrutiny and stricter health checks.
Undersecretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san said legislature last month that the government plans to adopt the new rules by mid-2027.
“The government is finalizing the legislative details by proactively carrying out the drafting of the law and the relevant preparatory work, with the aim of reporting the latest progress of the work in this direction to the Panel of the Legislative Council for Transport in July of this year,” he said.
Along with the new regulations, the authorities will also create a register of doctors suitable for health checks, he said.
Taxi accidents
The government is expected to present its proposal to the Legislative Council on Friday, Ming Pao reported. The newspaper also cited official figures as saying that 2,345 of the 4,984 taxi drivers involved in traffic accidents last year were over the age of 60.
According to the Department of Transportation datataxi drivers aged 60 and over were involved in 2,673 road accidents in 2024, accounting for almost 47 percent of taxi-related accidents that year.
Sun-tong, deputy director of the taxi branch of the General Union of Motor Transport Workers, told HKFP last year that he supported proposals for a standardized health check every two years, but rejected suggestions for a mandatory retirement age.
Just last week, a 63-year-old taxi driver he died in a head-on collision with a bus on the Hiram Expressway to Sai Kung. Last month, a 69-year-old taxi slamming 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 slamming on pedestrians, killing one woman and seriously injuring four.
