SINGAPORE — SMRT’s taxi drivers will have their blood pressure regularly checked and get tips for a healthier lifestyle under a free health-screening and coaching programme.

Launched in June, the one-year pilot programme is offered by the transport operator in partnership with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Alexandra Health System (AHS). Taxi operator Comfort Delgro also has a similar programme for its drivers.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State (Health and Manpower) told a media briefing today (Sept 1) that the HPB is now exploring the possibility of extending a similar health programme to other workplaces with mature workers, such as in the retail and cleaning industries.

The SMRT programme will closely monitor the taxi drivers’ health through monthly health-screenings, such as checking their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Drivers will also undergo a five-month health counselling and coaching programme, where AHS nurses will advise them on their diet and body fitness.

Compared to SMRT’s previous health-screening programme, the pilot will be a “more detailed screening process”, where the nurses will “monitor and follow up on them (the drivers)”, said Mr Benny Lim, Managing Director of Roads Business at SMRT Corporation.

To date, the programme has attracted over 600 SMRT taxi drivers, and hopes to reach out to 720 drivers, or a quarter of all the SMRT drivers at the Customer Service Centre at Woodlands.

About 2,900 drivers --- including those from ComfortDelgro -- are expected to eventually benefit from the HPB-related health programmes.

SMRT taxi driver Eric Yeong Cho Ser, 58, who has been driving for the past 18 years, said: “This programme ... has allowed me to know my own conditions well, confirming if I am healthy or not.”

Dr Khor said the pilot programme will be assessed for its effectiveness. “We are looking at how we can scale up the programme to reach out to more taxi drivers in the industry,” she added.