Following is a question by the Hon Lam Wai-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (October 7):

Question:

     Earlier, the Government proposed lowering the age requirement for applicants for commercial vehicle (CV) driving licences to submit medical examination certificates from 70 to 65, and shortening the validity period of full driving licences issued to applicants aged 65 or above (for example, licence applicants aged 70 or above would be issued with driving licences valid for one year). There is a view that this legislative proposal would directly affect the livelihoods and careers of elderly professional drivers and also have implications for the transport industry's labour force, potentially placing a strain on Hong Kong's primary healthcare services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the Government's estimated number of CV drivers who will be required to submit medical examination certificates each year over the next 10 years, calculated on the basis of the requirement that licence applicants aged 70 or above must undergo an annual medical examination (set out in a table), together with the basis and assumptions underlying such estimates;

(2) of the items covered in the medical examination required for the renewal of CV driving licences and the pass standard for each item; the estimated time required to complete one such examination;

(3) given that, as reflected by the industry, the fees currently charged by private medical practitioners or hospitals for conducting medical examinations and issuing medical examination certificates for drivers range from HK$400 to over HK$1,000 per examination, whether the Government will set a fee ceiling for medical examinations conducted for the renewal of CV driving licences, and provide a flat-rate subsidy to drivers undergoing such examinations to ease the financial burden on grassroots drivers;

(4) whether, in addition to registered private medical practitioners, the Government will consider requiring competent non-profit-making organisations and District Health Centres (DHCs) in various districts across the territory to serve as designated venues for conducting such medical examinations; whether the Government has assessed if DHCs in various districts currently have sufficient capacity and technical capability, in terms of manpower and hardware, to conduct medical examinations for CV drivers;

(5) given that some CV drivers who fail their initial medical examination may be able to improve their physical condition through medication and occupational therapy, thereby passing the examination, whether the Government has put in place follow-up and re-examination arrangements for such drivers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(6) whether the Government has ascertained the current age distribution of CV drivers and assessed the impact on elderly CV drivers of the requirement for drivers aged 70 or above to undergo an annual medical examination; whether the Government will assist elderly CV drivers who fail the medical examination in transitioning to other suitable positions, so as to relieve pressure on their livelihoods and safeguard their basic living?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has always attached great importance to road safety, continuously strengthening safety protection for road users through a multi-pronged approach. With an ageing population and hence the continuously rising number of aged drivers, the current system for the physical fitness certification of driving licence applicants and holders needs to keep pace with the times so as to help aged drivers to proactively prevent diseases and conditions that could affect driving, achieving early identification and prevention and establishing a healthy lifestyle for these drivers. This not only enhances road safety assurance but also extends the safe driving years of drivers. According to the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations (Cap. 374B), currently a person aged 70 or above who applies for a full driving licence must submit a medical certificate completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner, certifying that he/she is medically fit to drive. While driving licences are generally valid for 10 years, persons aged 70 or above can only apply for driving licences with a validity period of one year or three years.  Furthermore, if the applicant suffers from any disease or physical disability specified in the First Schedule to the Regulations, such as epilepsy, the Commissioner for Transport must refuse the application.

     We earlier conducted a review of the legislation in respect of the physical fitness certification requirements and mechanisms for driving licence applicants or holders under the Regulations, and proposed a series of recommendations. These proposals include amending the Regulations to add new items of diseases or physical disabilities that render a person unfit for driving commercial vehicles (CVs); lowering the age threshold for CV drivers to submit medical examination certificates from 70 to 65; and shortening the validity period of their full driving licences (specifically, proposing that applicants aged 65 to 67 be issued a licence valid for three years; those aged 68 to 69 be issued a licence valid for two years; and those aged 70 or above be issued a licence valid for one year), with a view to strengthening the gatekeeping of the physical fitness requirements of CV drivers. 

     In consultation with the Health Bureau (HHB), the reply to the question raised by the Member is as follows:

(1) According to the above-mentioned proposals, persons aged 65 or above must submit a medical examination certificate to renew or newly apply for a CV full driving licence. Since whether to renew or newly apply for a CV full driving licence is a matter of personal choice of the driver, the number of applicants varies each year, and we have not projected the number of persons who need to submit a medical examination certificate for renewal or new application for a CV full driving licence. 

(2) The Transport Department (TD) has engaged consultants and experts from the medical sector to help review the diseases or physical disabilities specified in the First Schedule to the Regulations, the existing content of the medical examination certificate and the arrangements of the physical fitness assessment of the drivers, etc., as well as to provide professional medical advice on relevant matters for the Government. With the assistance of the consultants and experts, a detailed review of the requirements for physical fitness certification in the Mainland and various overseas places has also been conducted. We are formulating a new set of assessment guidelines that systematically list out the assessment requirements for visual acuity, visual field, hearing, as well as other diseases and physical disability items specified in the legislation (including the proposed new items of diseases or physical disabilities that render a person unfit for driving CVs), while establishing and differentiating the physical fitness standards for persons who are fit to drive CVs and non-CVs. These arrangements facilitate one-stop case assessments by medical practitioners, thereby saving drivers' time and expenses spent on the assessments, while allowing flexibility for medical practitioners to make referrals for special cases. The TD launched a trial health assessment in the fourth quarter of 2025, engaging aged CV drivers and medical practitioners to conduct physical fitness assessments in accordance with the proposed assessment guidelines and medical examination certificates. Results from the trial indicate that the assessment generally takes about half an hour.

     In addition, we are working with the HHB to explore enabling medical practitioners to issue medical examination certificates via the Electronic Health System (eHealth), while at the same time establishing a system data transfer mechanism to transmit assessment results to the TD for processing driving licence applications. The relevant arrangements will streamline the submission of medical examination certificates and driving licence applications by drivers. Moreover, medical practitioners may, subject to the patients' consent, access relevant medical records via eHealth, thereby enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of physical fitness assessments.

(3) and (4) We will encourage more medical practitioners to provide physical fitness assessment services for aged drivers through publicity, thereby amplifying market forces to make related service fees more competitive. We will also work with the HHB to explore the introduction of a list of medical practitioners under the "Doctor Search" function on the eHealth App to publish information on medical practitioners providing relevant services. This will facilitate drivers' searching for relevant physical fitness assessment services. Furthermore, at present, eligible elderly persons may opt to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers to pay for private primary healthcare services that suit their health needs. CV drivers aged 65 or above may opt to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers to pay the said assessment fees. They may also search for healthcare providers enrolling in the Government's subsidy schemes (including the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme) through the eHealth App.

     The TD organises the Safe Driving and Health Campaign annually to promote safe driving and healthy habits among CV drivers. This includes providing free health check-up for eligible CV drivers of all ages, encouraging them to proactively manage their health conditions. To align with and support the above proposal to enhance physical fitness requirements for CV drivers, the TD is actively exploring adjustments to the scheme's arrangements to focus its resources on giving priority to CV drivers aged 65 or above when allocating the free health check-up quotas, thereby further encouraging aged drivers to participate in health checks, understand their health condition early, and prevent or treat diseases that may affect their driving ability.

     On the other hand, the Primary Healthcare Commission will implement the phased integration of Elderly Health Centre services under the Department of Health into the district health network from the end of this year, and will introduce more comprehensive elderly health assessment services. We will explore with the Primary Healthcare Commission a model where the district health network performs ancillary assessment and family doctors provide follow-up care, subject to the actual operation of the district health network and the availability of resources. This aims to guide aged drivers to pay closer attention to their own health conditions in a proactive manner and to make better use of primary healthcare services, thereby strengthening prevention and early identification of health risks.

(5) We propose that, if an applicant for a CV driving licence previously assessed as unfit to drive the relevant vehicle recovers within three years upon the expiry of his/her licence, and submits a medical examination certificate confirming his/her fitness to drive the relevant vehicle, he/she may be granted a renewal of the CV driving licence. This aims to reduce the inconvenience arising from retaking a driving test for a driving licence after recovery.

(6) As of the end of August 2026, there were around 55 000 holders of CV full driving licences aged 70 or above, representing about 15 per cent of the total number of CV licence holders. Amidst an ageing population, we propose imposing more stringent requirements for physical fitness certification of CV drivers with an aim to facilitate regular medical check-ups for these drivers at an earlier age, so that they can continuously monitor their physical conditions and understand their potential health risks. In this regard, they can ensure early prevention/treatment of diseases that may affect their driving ability and adopt a healthy way of living, thereby extending the driving years. The Government will closely monitor the impact of implementing the aforementioned measures on CV drivers in the future, and will continue to review the latest manpower situation of the sector.

Ends/Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:16

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