Hong Kong delays plan to lower age bar for health checks on commercial drivers
‘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 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 advance the drafting of the law and related preparatory work.
The spokesman explained that the government had been consulting various stakeholders on the items and frequency of medical check-ups to ensure the legislative proposals met actual situations and needs.
The department had been working with a team of consultants from the University of Hong Kong to review the list of specified illnesses or physical disabilities in the regulations that could prevent a driver from renewing his licence, it said.
They were also seeking to refine the medical guidelines for doctors to ensure clarity, objectivity and practicality, it added.