TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Federation for the Welfare of Taiwan's Seniors (老人福利推動聯盟), an advocacy group for elderly rights and services, called for a comprehensive overhaul of transportation services for older citizens during a press conference on Tuesday (July 15). Representatives emphasized that the current system's heavy dependence on the Senior Citizen Card (敬老卡), a government-issued discount card for public transportation, fails to address the complex mobility needs of Taiwan's aging population. The organization cautioned that persistent geographic inequalities between city and countryside access could inadvertently encourage elderly individuals to operate vehicles without proper licensing after formally relinquishing their driving privileges.
The renewed scrutiny of elderly driving privileges follows a serious collision in New Taipei City's Sanxia District (三峽), a suburban area outside the capital, where a 78-year-old motorist was involved in a major traffic incident. During a specialized forum addressing senior mobility issues, Chang Shu-ching (張淑卿), who serves as secretary-general of the federation, emphasized that transportation networks function as essential social scaffolding for the elderly population. She advocated for a personalized approach that considers each senior's cognitive abilities and physical health.
The federation official pointed to demographic projections showing Taiwan will reach super-aged status — where more than 20 percent of the population exceeds 65 years — within seven years. Chang presented concerning statistics about elder isolation, noting that one-tenth of seniors currently live without companionship, while 517,000 elderly individuals serve as primary caregivers for others. The strikingly low 14.9 percent public transportation utilization rate among seniors reveals profound accessibility disparities between metropolitan and rural communities. Her proposed solution involves dismantling bureaucratic barriers between government departments handling transportation, social services, and healthcare to create tailored mobility options, including technology-enabled vehicles and specialized taxi-sharing programs designed for older passengers.
Medical perspective on the issue came from Wu Chih-yin (吳芝穎), who heads the geriatric medicine department at Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital (萬芳醫院), a major healthcare facility in the capital. Wu reported troubling year-over-year increases in traffic incidents involving senior drivers, emphasizing that critical cognitive functions — attention span, motor execution, and spatial perception — often deteriorate with age. The physician warned about the dangers of common medications prescribed to older adults, particularly sedatives and anxiolytics, which can significantly compromise driving ability. Wu advocated for proactive family conversations about voluntarily ceasing driving and recommended standardized evaluation methods such as the Drivers 65 Plus assessment protocol. ◼
