Following is a question by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):

Question:

     It has been reported that in August this year, a taxi driver in his eighties struck and killed a Filipino tourist in Tsuen Wan, arousing concerns among various sectors in the community about the driving ability and safety of elderly professional drivers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the Government has yet to implement the proposals put forward in 2023 to lower the age threshold of commercial vehicle drivers submitting physical fitness certification to the age of 65 and to require them undergoing a medical examination once every year, of the resistance the Government encounters when implementing these proposals, and whether it can commit to a specific implementation timeline;

(2) as there are views that the current physical fitness certification requirements and the examination items for driving licence applicants and holders are overly simplistic and fail to ensure the fitness of elderly professional drivers for driving, whether the authorities will review the requirements for medical examination of elderly professional drivers by drawing reference from practices on the Mainland or Taiwan, such as introducing more stringent examination items, including reaction tests and screening for chronic diseases, as well as formulating detailed assessment guidelines for doctors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will draw on practices on the Mainland, Taiwan region or Japan to set a mandatory retirement age for professional drivers; if so, of the details; if not, how it will ensure the driving ability of elderly professional drivers?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has always attached importance to the health conditions of drivers and understands that the physical condition of drivers is of vital significance to ensuring road safety. With the increasing number of aged drivers, commercial vehicle drivers face relatively higher risks due to the nature of their profession. In this connection, the Government has conducted a review of the requirements and mechanism for medical certification of driving licence applicants or holders under the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations (Cap. 374B) (the Regulations) with a view to further safeguarding the safety of drivers and other road users. In consultation with the Transport Department (TD), the reply to the various parts of the question raised by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon is as follows:

(1) and (2) Currently, when a person aged 70 or above applies for a full driving licence of any class of motor vehicle, he/she must provide a medical certificate completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner to prove that the applicant is medically fit to drive and control a vehicle in that class. Depending on applicants' choices, the validity period of such driving licences is one year or three years. The Regulations also stipulate that if an applicant is suffering from a disease or physical disability specified in the First Schedule to the Regulations, the Commissioner for Transport shall refuse the application.

     To improve road safety, we consulted the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Transport in 2023, proposing to enhance the requirements for medical certification of commercial vehicle drivers. Specifically, the Government proposes amending the First Schedule to the Regulations, including raising the standards of eyesight to cover visual acuity and visual field, and adding items applicable to commercial vehicle drivers, including hearing requirements, to enhance the relevant requirements. The Government also proposes lowering the age threshold for commercial vehicle drivers to submit medical examination certificates from the age of 70 to that of 65. In addition, the validity period of their driving licences is proposed to be shortened to one year, meaning that an annual check-up is required before the licence can be renewed. Meanwhile, the requirements for non-commercial vehicles drivers to provide medical certification will remain unchanged.

     After consulting the LegCo Panel on Transport, we have kept listening to the views of all sectors. Recently, we have further consulted various stakeholders including LegCo Members, the transport trade and the medical sector, etc. While society as a whole supports the above direction, some trade representatives suggested relaxing the frequency of medical assessment for drivers aged between 65 and 70. Other stakeholders suggested that consideration should be given to requiring drivers to undergo reaction tests. Medical representatives have also pointed out the need to give greater consideration to the practical circumstances faced by frontline medical practitioners.

     In response to the latest opinions collected recently, the consultant team from the University of Hong Kong commissioned by the TD and the medical expert panel, comprising representatives from the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and other bureaux and departments, are reviewing and considering to fine-tune the diseases or physical disabilities items specified in the First Schedule to the Regulations, as well as the content of the medical guidelines for medical practitioners' reference, with a view to making the guidelines clearer, more objective, and more practical.

     To ensure that frontline medical practitioners fully understand the contents of the medical guidelines and the points to note for conducting medical examination and completing medical certificates in the future, and to enhance commercial vehicle drivers' health awareness and their understanding of the new assessment requirements, the TD will make reference to the Marine Department's trial experience with the industry in introducing the medical fitness certificate requirement for local vessel operators, and will invite members of the commercial vehicle industry to participate in medical assessment trials ahead of schedule during the fourth quarter of this year. The trial aims to collect and incorporate practical feedback from frontline medical practitioners, thereby reviewing and enhancing the overall process. Meanwhile, as regards reaction tests, we will explore the utilisation of innovative technology and artificial intelligence, including drawing on the experiences in technological innovation across different regions to test the physical responsiveness of drivers, or to simulate various road situations and driving conditions so as to assess aged drivers' reactions under different circumstances.

     Regarding the specific timetable, we are continuing to actively pursue the law drafting in parallel and will further incorporate the views of the consultant team and the expert panel. We will also draw on the experience of medical assessment trials to be conducted shortly with the trade and medical practitioners with a view to finalising the legislative proposal and medical guidelines in the fourth quarter. We plan to report to the LegCo Panel on Transport the collective findings in the first quarter of next year, and submit the subsidiary legislation amendments to the LegCo. The TD will continue to carry out various preparatory work, including the production of demonstration video clips for frontline medical practitioners, and strive for the implementation of the new arrangement in the second quarter of next year to enhance overall road safety.

(3) As regards comments made in the question on setting a retirement age for commercial vehicle drivers, we notice that different regions have adopted various practices. For instance, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom impose no restrictions, whereas the Mainland imposes age restrictions on the types of vehicles that may be driven. We consider that medical assessment would help prevent illnesses and build healthy lifestyle habits. As currently nearly 40 percent of taxi and light bus driving licence holders are aged 65 or above, a blanket retirement age would inevitably disrupt the manpower in the trade. The Government proposes to first enhance the requirements for medical certification of commercial vehicle drivers at this stage, and will continue to review and enhance its effectiveness.

     Thank you, President.

Ends/Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:20

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