The Christopher Nolan blockbuster Odyssey, chronicling Odysseus’ arduous journey home, is now showing in cinemas. It has dawned on me, after failing my second road test in Yau Tong, that anyone determined to pass a driving test in Hong Kong faces an ordeal not unlike Odysseus’.
In reality, the pass rate hovers at about 33 per cent for private cars and 29 per cent for light goods vehicles, meaning that roughly seven in 10 candidates have to take at least one retest. If they fail to win the Transport Department lottery for a test slot, waits for a retest can stretch to five months. Additional lessons and test fees can easily add another HK$5,000 or HK$6,000 to costs. No wonder Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places in the world to learn driving.
Moreover, test results are effectively not subject to meaningful review. It is nearly impossible to appoint an impartial adjudicator to re‑assess a candidate’s performance, as the examination is neither filmed nor documented by an independent third party. The only remedy is to lodge a complaint with the Transport Department and wait for the outcome. Unsurprisingly, appeals against road test results had risen from 192 cases in 2017 to 380 cases in 2023.
Hong Kong can and should do better. By cutting red tape, increasing transparency and building a more robust and accountable mechanism, we can ensure that no one has to endure an Odyssean ordeal just to get a driving licence, and that learners enjoy the process of becoming safe and confident drivers.