Balloting starts for private driving instructors' licences

The Transport Department today (March 27) announced details of the balloting process for private driving instructors' licences.

It said balloting to determine the priority number of applicants for Group 1 Private Driving Instructor's (Group 1 PDI) licence (for private cars and light goods vehicles) was conducted on March 24 in the presence of the department's Internal Audit Unit.

The department received about 16,000 applications from December 19, 2002 to January 10, 2003, for the Group 1 PDI licences. Among them, 14,011 qualified, and these applicants can join the balloting via computer.

A department spokesman said all qualified applicants had been allocated a balloted priority number by computer and they would be notified of their numbers by post.

"Invitations to take the test will be made from April 4 according to applicants' balloted priority numbers until all 173 licences are issued," the spokesman said.

The test, which will start in about four weeks, is divided into two parts, a written and a road test. Only applicants who have passed the written test will be invited to take the road test. Applicants who pass both parts will be qualified to receive the Group 1 PDI licences.

The number of Group 1 PDI licences will be reviewed again in about two years' time.

Results of the balloting will be available on the department's website, http://www.info.gov.hk/td/pdiballot/ from 10am tomorrow (March 28).

For enquiries, call 2714 7649.

End/Thursday, March 27, 2003