Following is a question by the Hon Judy Chan and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 2):

Question:

     It has been reported that the taxi industry has faced difficulties in attracting new blood to join the industry in recent years, and, as the first batch of taxi fleets will officially commence service in July this year, there will be keen demand for taxi drivers. There are views that the situation can be rectified by optimising the procedure and content of the Taxi Written Test of the Transport Department. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of candidates sitting for the Taxi Written Test as well as the number of candidates who passed the test and the passing rate in each of the past five years;

(2) how the Location and Route Questions of Part B of the Taxi Written Test will be optimised to suit, in the context of driving, the new normal arising from the advancement of technology nowadays; and

(3) whether it has any plans to assist the industry in attracting newcomers to join the industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has been striving to enhance the service quality of taxis, and has introduced a series of measures in the past years. Such measures include introducing a taxi fleet regime, enhancing the Taxi Written Test, increasing the maximum passenger seating capacity of taxis, introducing a Taxi-Driver-Offence Points (TDOP) system, and relaxing no-stopping restrictions for taxis at designated restricted zones. These measures are launched with a view to providing passengers with a better riding experience, enhancing the overall image of the taxi trade and promoting the healthy development of the taxi industry in the long run, thereby creating a virtuous cycle to attract more new blood to join the taxi industry.

     Regarding the Hon Judy Chan's questions, my reply is as follows: 

(1) The Taxi Written Test focuses on assessing candidates' practical knowledge on the guidelines and regulations related to taxi operation, key locations and routes, as well as the Road Users' Code. The Transport Department (TD) enhanced the Taxi Written Test in February 2020 by updating the test content and adjusting the number of questions, with a view to focusing more on the assessment of core knowledge regarding taxi services. Such measures successfully attract more people to apply for the Taxi Written Test. The number of candidates sitting the Test has increased significantly by 40 per cent in the past few years, from less than 10 000 candidates sitting the Test in 2019 to around 14 000 candidates in 2024. In addition, the passing rate of the Taxi Written Test rose from 37 per cent in 2019 to 60 per cent in 2024. The above figures show that the enhancement of the Taxi Written Test has a notably positive effect in attracting newcomers to join the taxi driver profession. The numbers of candidates who sat and passed the Taxi Written Test from 2019 to 2024 and the corresponding passing rates are set out at the Annex. 

(2) To keep up with the times and better align the Taxi Written Test with the practical needs of the trade, the TD is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the arrangements of the Test.

     In particular, having considered that modern navigation technology can now assist taxi drivers in quickly locating destinations and planning the most efficient driving routes, the TD will substantially reduce and simplify the questions on locations and routes under Part B of the Taxi Written Test and update the question bank, with a view to better aligning the Test with practical needs, and at the same time ensure that the candidates who pass the test possess the professional knowledge and qualities of taxi drivers, and have a basic understanding and grasp of the major road networks and frequently visited locations.

     Besides simplifying the questions under Part B of the Test in the light of technological applications, the TD will also add new questions to assess candidates' knowledge of the series of new measures introduced to enhance taxi service quality (e.g. taxi fleet regime, the TDOP system).

     The TD is now pressing ahead with the relevant work and aims to implement the further enhanced Taxi Written Test in the fourth quarter of this year.

(3) Apart from enhancing the Taxi Written Test, the Government has relaxed the eligibility requirements for commercial vehicle (including taxi) driving licences from October 1, 2020. The period required for an applicant to hold a valid private car or light goods vehicle full driving licence has been shortened from a minimum of three years to at least one year, with a view to attracting more new blood to join the industry.

     Separately, the Government introduced the taxi fleet regime last year to encourage the trade to adopt a more professional and systematic approach to manage their fleets and drivers, in order to enhance the quality of taxi services and improve the overall image of the taxi industry. Last week, the TD announced that they would issue the official Taxi Fleet Licences to the five taxi fleets within July 2025.

     Over the past period of time, the five fleet operators have been proactively implementing different measures to recruit new blood and existing drivers to join the fleet. Various taxi fleet operators have successively participated in the district and thematic job fairs organised by the Labour Department, enabling job seekers to gain a deeper understanding of the fleets and their recruitment model. The fleets have also implemented different measures to recruit taxi drivers, including offering new driver referral bonus and safe driving bonus, as well as providing flexible working hour arrangements. In addition, the operators will offer pre-service training to enhance drivers' customer service skills, and implement systematic management to support drivers in handling customer enquiries, creating a better working environment for fleet drivers. We understand from the fleet operators that the job fairs and various measures have attracted enquiries from job seekers outside the industry, and they have recruited more than 40 newcomers to join the fleet. These efforts will continue, demonstrating that the taxi fleet regime has a positive effect in attracting new blood to join the industry.

     In addition, the Employees Retraining Board also offers taxi driver-related training courses to provide prospective drivers with information on the development of the industry, driving safety and matters to pay attention to when providing taxi services, thereby assisting them in joining the taxi driver profession. Eligible persons may even receive tuition subsidies or full course fee waivers. At the same time, certain taxi dealers are also offering online courses for those seeking to apply for taxi driver's licence, as well as training courses for individuals that are new to the industry, so that the newcomers can better understand the daily operation of the taxi industry. All these measures help attract new blood to the industry.

     The Government will continue to closely monitor the operation and management of the taxi industry, and implement different measures to assist the trade to enhance their services, thereby promoting the healthy development of the taxi industry in the long run.

     Thank you, President.

Ends/Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:15

NNNN