Three taxi crashes involving elderly drivers aged 66 to 85 occurred in the same week of March. Permanent President of Taxi Dealers and Owners Association Ng Kwan–sing addressed the industry’s shortage of young taxi drivers, while 70 percent are over 50.
The three cases, in total, caused critical injuries to three pedestrians and killed one person.
On March 5, an 85-year-old male, Ngai Choi-nung, who drove a taxi, struck three people, while two of them caused severe bodily harm on the road at the junction of Fortress Hill Road and King’s Road in North Point, Hong Kong Island.
In a video uploaded to social media taken from the dashboard camera of a car on the same road, the taxi went straight and hit some passers-by.
The driver initially said the taxi’s brake failed, while police inspectors reportedly found no malfunction in the vehicle.
On March 7, the driver was charged with “dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm” and has appeared in the Eastern Magistrates’ Court.
The defendant, who was wearing a hearing aid, said he understood the charge read out by the clerk. The prosecution applied to the court to adjourn the case for ten weeks, with no objection to bail, but hoped that the court would impose strict bail conditions.
The chief magistrate finally granted the defendant HK$5,000 bail, but he was required to surrender his driver’s license and travel documents in court.
In the same week, on March 1, a taxi was driving in Kowloon when it hit a man at the entrance of Mok Cheong Street. The man fell unconscious and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for emergency treatment. Police arrested the 74-year-old taxi driver on suspicion of “dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.”
In the same week, on March 4, a 66-year-old man drove a taxi along Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road toward Yau Oi Estate at about 5:00 a.m. When the cab reached the junction with Tuen Hop Street, it hit the 68-year-old male passerby. The man sustained multiple injuries and was taken to hospital in a coma for treatment, and was confirmed dead at 5:44 a.m.
Permanent President of Taxi Dealers and Owners Association, Ng Kwan-sing, said on an RTHK radio program that an 84-year-old elderly driving a taxi is not ideal. However, the industry is facing a severe shortage of drivers. Fewer people are willing to join the industry, resulting in a lack of young drivers.
Currently, 50 to 70-year-old drivers account for most of the drivers, up to 70 to 80 percent, and 40 to 50-year-old drivers also account for more than 10 percent.
He thinks the government should promote medical check-ups for drivers and said that although the government launched a free medical check-up program, drivers’ responses could have been more active. Ng also called on drivers to participate in the free medical checkups the government provides to detect hidden diseases as early as possible.
The Commissioner for Transport, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, said on a Commercial Radio program that she acknowledged that drivers are aging and the chance of traffic accidents will naturally increase.
Currently, commercial vehicle drivers aged 70 or above must undergo a medical examination every three years or upon the renewal of their licenses.
Law said the Transport Department has set up an expert panel to review the medical certification mechanism for drivers.
The direction includes increasing the scope of the examination, such as grip strength, muscle response, eye strength, and the like, and increasing the frequency. Relevant stakeholders, such as industry players, will be consulted after the review.
