That taxi services in Hong Kong still leave much to be desired is a long-held belief, which regrettably is not being taken as seriously as it should. Adding to concerns is a recent spate of accidents involving elderly drivers that has fuelled calls to tighten health rules for those working in the industry. To be fair, age is just a number. Arguably, as long as one is physically and mentally sound, no one should be banned from working because of their age. That said, the series of incidents involving elderly taxi drivers does raise serious questions about road safety. On Sunday, an 85-year-old was arrested after three pedestrians were injured in North Point. In January, an 87-year-old was involved in three accidents within nine days. In another incident, a passenger died when a taxi, driven by a 77-year-old, hit a parked truck in Wong Tai Sin. Last month, a 66-year-old was arrested for dangerous driving after a food delivery courier on a motorcycle was killed in Kwai Chung. Lifeline or ticking time bomb? Hong Kong’s elderly cabbies defend choice to drive The incidents occurred in a variety of circumstances and were unrelated. There is a suggestion that the one on Sunday may have been caused by a mechanical failure and, as with other traffic accidents, one must not jump to conclusions. But cases involving elderly drivers understandably become an issue of concern when they happen frequently. To what extent age is to blame is something well worth looking into. There is at present no retirement age for taxi and minibus drivers. Those aged 70 or above must produce a health certificate when renewing their driving licence, but whether procedures are thorough enough is a different matter. Officials have come up with the correct response and promised to review health checks for elderly drivers, taking into account road safety as well as one’s right to work and earn a living. The far wider issue is an ageing workforce. The average age of the city’s taxi drivers last year was 59, with four in five aged over 50. In 2021, 970 cabbies aged 60 to 64 were involved in accidents, the highest among the age groups concerned. It is important that those in the industry and the authorities work together to ensure taxi services are safe and provided by a sustainable workforce.