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Retired taxi drivers could go back to work
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FACED with a growing shortage of taxi drivers, the city is for the first time considering a trial scheme encouraging retired cabbies to return to work by extending the maximum age by five years.
The trial would be conducted on a strictly voluntary basis and is not related to the national plan to raise the retirement age, the city’s urban transportation administrative department said yesterday.
The scheme, the first of its kind in China, will be launched by the end of this year if it is approved.
According to the draft plan, the maximum age of male cab drivers will be raised to 65 from 60, and to 60 from 55 for women. It will be up to the drivers to decide if they wish to continue working after they reach legal retirement age.
The authority said the trial policy would only affect registered and licensed taxi drivers in the city.
“Many details are still under discussion,” said Ma Fei, vice director of the authority. “We’ve conducted some research and found some taxi drivers are willing to drive for a few more years. We are studying detailed plans concerning workload, physical examinations and insurance schemes.”
Ma told Shanghai Daily that the growing shortage of taxi drivers is the main impetus behind the trial.
“The city has about 3,000 taxis that don’t have drivers,” Ma said. “Without enough drivers, many taxis are left unused. Many taxi companies no longer buy new cars when the old ones are scrapped.”
According to Ma, the city has more than 50,000 registered taxis.
A local cab driver, surnamed Huang, 53, told Shanghai Daily that when he joined the industry 17 years ago, driving was an attractive job and youngsters were eager to get behind the wheel.
“New drivers had to wait months to get a taxi,” Huang said.
“But youngsters are not interested in the job anymore. Our fleet has several idle cars.”
However, Huang said he would not drive after retirement.
“My vertebrae are already in poor shape. That’s common among drivers as we have to sit still in a small space for a long time.”
Another taxi driver, surnamed Yang, 43, is also looking forward to hanging up the keys to his taxi.
“I would even change to a new job now if possible,” Yang said, adding that the shortage is getting worse every year.
“If I’m ill or have personal issues, the company can’t find people to replace me.
“If you take leave without a replacement, you lose the day’s rental fee.”
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