Old--age poverty

THE other day, when it was scorching, an 81--year year--old driver passed out in his minibus after he had turned its engine off. He died consequently. That has prompted the government tobudge. Drivers would be exempt from the ban on idlingengines when the very hot weather warning is in force.However, our reporters' in in--depth investigation shows elderly drivers' health check check--up reports may not beaccurate. It is a concern how fit they actually are. Many old people work on the road for a living. From this it isclear that many old people must struggle for their livelihood rather than spend their remaining years inease.

There are about 60,000 active minibus or taxidrivers in Hong Kong. Transport Department figuresshow about 7,500 (12%) of them are over 70. In otherwords, one out of eight minibus or taxi drivers is a septuagenarian. To make sure that drivers who are above 70 are fitto drive and would pose no danger to their customersor pedestrians, the Transport Department enforces thelong long--standing rule that elderly people's driving licences are valid for one to three years instead of ten.

Furthermore, an elderly driver must submit a healthcheck check--up report prepared by a doctor when he has hislicence renewed. Our reporters' investigation hasrevealed that the doctor has to answer twenty twenty--five"true or false" questions. He is not required to do any"scientific tests" on the driver. To answer thosequestions, he only needs to talk to the driver. He neednot even take his blood pressure. Such a casual reportmay not accurately describe an elderly minibus or taxidriver's physical fitness.

The Transport Department should do random

checks. To ensure that health check check--up reports areaccurate, it should require some elderly drivers whohave submitted their health check check--up reports to bere re--examined by government doctors. This measurewould help persuade elderly drivers and their doctorsto be serious about their health check check--up reports.Some in the trade believe driving a minibus or taxiis too strenuous to be suitable for the elderly. They saythe authorities should set an age limit. For example, aminibus or taxi driver's licence should not be renewedif he is above 70.

Septuagenarians who still work as minibus or taxidrivers each have their stories. Some may do so to killtime. Conceivably, most do so for a living. Though theyare old, they cannot retire and still have to earn theirkeep on the road, which is considered as dangerousas the tiger's mouth.

Between June and August the year before last,the Census and Statistics Department surveyed about10,000 households in the territory to find out elderlypeople's financial and family characteristics. Thedepartment estimated that as many as 630,000 seniorcitizens not living in homes for the elderly each hadless than $50,000, not including the flats in which theylived. They accounted for 56% of Hong Kong's elderlypopulation.

An elderly person who has $50,000 may be betteroff than many. However, prices being at their levels,how long will $50,000 last him? That is why more andmore old people have to pick odds and ends fromrefuse heaps to make a few dollars. Compared withthem, those who have practical skills or can earn theirliving driving a minibus or taxi are perhaps of a "highclass".

Conceivably, when the minimum wage legislationis in force, more employers will replace their oldemployees with younger ones. Population ageing willpeak in ten years. If the problem of old old--age povertyremains largely unchanged, many old people will live inaa pitiable state. The fact that many elderly peoplehave to earn their keep by driving vehicles has much todo with safety. However, that is only the tip of theiceberg. The government must make long long--term plansfor dealing with problems arising from old old--age poverty.

　年老司機虎口營生 貧窮問題冰山一角

2010.07.13明報社評

一名81 歲長者小巴司機，日前酷熱之下，在停車熄匙的小巴內暈倒，不治死亡，此事促使政府讓步，在酷熱天氣豁免熄匙，不過， 記者深入採訪發現，年老職業司機的體檢報告存在漏洞，他們的真實健康情况使人關注；另外，大批年邁司機在馬路謀生，說明許多長者仍要為生活打拼，未能閒適地頤養天年。

目前較活躍小巴的士司機約有66 萬人，據運輸署數字， 其中約有7,500 名為70 歲以上長者， 佔總數約12% 12%，即每，88 名小巴或的士司機，就有一人年逾70 歲。

為確保70 歲以上職業司機的健康，足以應付駕駛工作，不會危及乘客和途人安全，運輸署早把長者司機的駕駛執照期限，由10 年縮短為11 至33 年，並要求長者在續牌時，必須附交一份由醫生填寫的「體格檢驗報告」。但是記者調查發現，體檢報告有25 條是非題，未要求醫生必須「先進行科學檢查」才作答，僅靠醫生與體檢者口頭答問填寫，許多時候連基本的量血壓也欠奉。這樣「簡易」的體檢，不可能真確呈現長者職業司機的健康狀况。

運輸署應該引入突擊抽驗機制，要求部分出示體檢報告的長者司機，須接受官方覆檢，以確保所呈交報告並非胡亂填寫。這個做法可形成壓力，促使長者及醫生更嚴肅認真地填寫體檢報告。

也有業者認為，駕駛小巴或的士工作，太辛苦了，根本不適合長者，當局應該研究年齡限制（例如70 歲以上），就不再續發駕駛小巴或的士的牌照。

年逾70 的長者，仍然駕駛小巴或的士，各有不同故事，不能排除有人為了排遣時日，但是相信大多數仍然是為了生計。也就是說，長者到了這個年紀，仍然不能退休，在被認為如虎口的馬路為生活打拼。

統計處前年66 至88 月，抽查全港約11 萬個住戶，了解長者的經濟和家庭特徵。當時統計處估算，有多達63 萬非院舍長者的資產，不計算自住物業只有少於55 萬元，佔全港長者達56% 。

有55 萬元資產，還算較好的，但是以本港的物價水平， ，55 萬元可以支持多久？由此看來，愈來愈多長者在街頭撿拾破爛，賺取十元八塊。相對而言，有一技之長，能夠駕駛小巴或的士維生，可能已是較「高檔」的了。

最低工資實施之後，相信更多僱主會聘請較年輕者來取代長者；隨着人口老化高峰期約10 年後漸次到來，若本港長者貧窮問題基本不變，屆時許多長者的境况將更堪憐。所以，長者職業司機當道，除了安全問題外，對於政府而言，它只是暴露問題的冰山一角，政府需要長遠規劃，對應長者貧窮所衍生的諸多問題。

Glossaryeasethe state of feeling relaxed or comfortablewithout worries, problems or pain.septuagenarian //?septj ʊ? ʊ?dd ??II''ne ??rrII ??n/ n/a person from 70 to 79 years old.pitiable //''ppIIttII ??b( b(??)l/)deserving pity or causing you to feel pity.