Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Janil Puthucheary to Parliamentary Question on Vocational Licence Test Exemption for Taxi Drivers

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport whether taxi drivers aged 65 and above who have taken their medical assessments for their personal driving licence may be exempted from retaking the same tests for their vocational licence within the same year.

Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Janil Puthucheary:

1.     The Traffic Police requires all drivers aged 65 and above to pass a medical examination to certify their fitness to drive a private car once every three years, in order to retain their Class 3 personal driving licences. Among these elderly drivers who wish to drive a taxi, LTA requires them to also pass a medical examination with additional occupation-related health checks to certify their fitness to renew their Taxi Driver Vocational Licences (TDVL). We subject taxi drivers to more stringent medical assessment as they clock a much higher mileage than other motorists. This is to protect the commuting public.

2.     LTA is working with the Traffic Police to align the two medical assessment processes. Before the end of this year, taxi drivers who have passed their TDVL medical assessments should be able to use them to renew their Class 3 personal driving licences.