SINGAPORE - THE two biggest taxi operators here have joined forces with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to launch an initiative that will help taxi drivers keep better tabs on their health.

As part of a one-year pilot programme, cabbies with SMRT or Comfort Delgro will be able to go for health screenings when they send their vehicles for maintenance at the companies' service centres.

The two-month old programme, which is targetting 2,880 cabbies, will see community nurses stationed at the centres to check the drivers' weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Depending on the results after a year, the HPB might also extend the programme to the security and cleaning industries, said Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor on Monday.