TD to relax eligibility requirements for commercial vehicle driving licences and launch pre-service course for taxi and public bus drivers from October 1

     The Transport Department (TD) today (September 25) said starting from October 1, the period required for an applicant for a commercial vehicle (except an articulated vehicle) driving licence to hold a private car (PC) or light goods vehicle (LGV) full driving licence will be shortened. Starting from the same date, a relevant full driving licence will only be issued to an applicant for a full driving licence to drive a taxi or public bus who has attended and completed a pre-service course.

     For an applicant who has completed the one-year probationary driving period for a PC or LGV, he/she will be eligible to apply for a learner's or full driving licence to drive a commercial vehicle immediately upon obtaining a full driving licence for the corresponding vehicle type (i.e. PC or LGV). For an applicant who has held a full driving licence for a PC or LGV for at least one year, he/she will also be eligible to apply for a learner's or full driving licence to drive a commercial vehicle. Other existing application requirements, including that the applicant must be aged 21 or above and has not been convicted of any specified serious traffic offence in the past five years, etc, will remain unchanged.

     With a view to further enhancing the safety and quality of public transport services, starting from October 1, applicants for taxi and public bus full driving licences will not be issued with the relevant full driving licence unless they have, in addition to passing the relevant driving test, attended and completed the relevant pre-service course within one year preceding the date of application for the relevant full driving licence. The pre-service course requirement is not applicable to those who have applied before October 1, 2020 (based on the postmark date) for the driving test relevant to a taxi or public bus full driving licence.

     The TD has designed new pre-service courses for taxi, public light bus and public bus drivers, and 12 designated pre-service training schools will provide the relevant courses. The duration of the new pre-service courses will remain at 16 hours. Participants will only be issued with the course certificate if they pass the written assessment with a satisfactory performance during the course. The Employees Retraining Board has arranged the provision of the pre-service courses for taxi, public light bus and public bus drivers under its "Skills Upgrading Courses" to subsidise eligible applicants to attend.

     Please visit the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) for details. For enquiries, please call 2804 2600.