Too old to drive a taxi? Hong Kong’s spate of accidents sparks calls to ban drivers over 65, tighten medical checks
- Some 500 people support motorcyclist’s petition to ban cabbies over 65 following death of food delivery man
- Call for ban is anti-elderly, says taxi owners’ group, but others urge review of rules for older drivers
Recent road accidents involving taxis in Hong Kong have sparked calls to review the rules for the city’s cabbies, with an online petition suggesting a ban on those over 65.
There is currently no retirement age for drivers of taxis and minibuses, and while some feel this should change, others told the Post it might be time to impose stricter health checks on older drivers instead.
On Tuesday, a 66-year-old taxi driver was arrested for dangerous driving after allegedly making an illegal turn in Kwai Chung and hitting a motorcycle. The 42-year-old food delivery rider died.
In another fatal accident last month, a passenger died when the taxi, driven by a 77-year-old, hit a parked truck in Wong Tai Sin.
Last month, an 87-year-old cabby was involved in three accidents within nine days.
On January 11, his cab hit a parked motorcycle in Quarry Bay, although the rider was not injured. The next day, the cabby and his passenger were slightly injured in a mishap in Admiralty, although no other vehicles were involved.
Then, on January 19, he apparently lost control of his vehicle in Wan Chai, hitting a car on the road before running into another eight vehicles nearby.