Driving school row erupts
Driving instructors have accused the Transport Department of favouring large consortiums by setting 'unrealistic' deposits in the tendering for an off-street driving school in Tsuen Wan.
The instructors are urging the department to postpone the deadline for the tendering scheduled for September 3.
Under the department's proposal, two floors of the Tsuen Wan Transport Complex car park at Tsuen Wan Pier would be used for parking and reversing training by private driving instructors from early next year.
The successful bidder must place a $2.5 million deposit and pay $80,000 rent a month to the Government.
There will be 75 instructors at the school. Twenty-three of them must hold private vehicle or light van instructing licences. The remainder can hold any type of instructor's licence.
The deposit would be raised to $4 million six months after the off-street school starts, depending on student intake, according to the tender which was put out on July 23.
General Secretary of the Driving Instructors Association, Lai Man-kam, yesterday criticised what he said was an unrealistic deposit.
He accused the department of reneging on a promise of a $250,000 deposit, which he said had been made at a meeting with instructors on March 24.
He said the deposit requirement was a bid to favour large consortiums.
A department spokesman denied the allegation of 'favouritism', saying the deposit was needed to protect learners who paid tuition fees in advance.
He said that the fixed monthly rental offered more flexibility in operation.
The requirement of qualified instructors was in line with the purpose of the school which was primarily for the training of private vehicle and light-goods vehicle drivers.
