Wanted: 80-year-old taxi drivers to ease Japan’s labour crunch

The number of drivers in Japan has fallen 20% since 2019. (Image: Bloomberg)

Sun, 29 Oct 2023

By Gearoid ReidyWould you trust an 80-year-old driver with your life on some of the developed world’s most complex streets?If you’re one of the millions visiting Tokyo, you might have to: there's a plan to raise the age limit for taxi drivers by five years from the current 75. But if the idea of cabdrivers in their ninth decade gives you pause, you’re not alone: The discussion has met with criticism even in the typically elder-friendly local media, coming after years of programmes encouraging older motorists to return...

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