Hong Kong taxi trade hit by driver shortage as young are put off by its bad reputation
The pay is poor, cabbies are held in low esteem by the public and there is little prospect of making a career, Post finds
Hong Kong’s beleaguered taxi industry is grappling with an ageing workforce and driver shortages as less young people opt to become cabbies due to the trade’s bad reputation and lacklustre career prospects, the Post has learned.
According to Transport Department figures obtained by the Post, among 220,440 holders of taxi driving licences, only 1,110, or 0.5 per cent, are aged 21 to 29, compared with 4.76 per cent aged 70 or above. About 78 per cent, or 172,150, are 50 to 69.
To obtain a licence, an applicant must be at least 21, have held a regular licence for three years and pass a written test. When a taxi driver reaches the age of 70 he or she needs to undergo a physical fitness test every year to ensure they are fit for the job.
At present there are 18,138 taxis in Hong Kong – 15,250 red urban taxis, 2,838 green taxis that serve the New Territories and 50 blue taxis in Lantau – with about 40,000 drivers.