Learners get in gear for city traffic

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Published: 12:00am, 29 May 2010

Learning to drive in Hong Kong requires overcoming a set of challenges that are different from those in other cities - the biggest tests are notorious rush-hour traffic and getting used to driving around the narrow streets.

The driving test here reflects the difficult conditions, with most students needing about 30 hours of driving lessons to pass. Unlike in many Western countries, learner drivers can only drive if accompanied by a holder of a driving instructor's licence, so they must learn at a driving school or with a private instructor.

But even with an instructor in the seat beside them, first-time drivers can find taking to the roads a daunting prospect.

'There is a high risk if learners with zero experience practise on public roads,' says a spokeswoman from the Hong Kong School of Motoring [HKSM] (www.hksm.com.hk). 'It creates a hazard for both them and other road users.'

It was with this in mind that the government set up the school 27 years ago, providing learners with a safe, confined environment to practise before heading out onto the streets.

The school is one of a number of government-designated driving schools in Hong Kong, with four having their own confined areas for learners to start off in. There are also private schools and private instructors who offer classes, with one of the biggest private schools being Lee Kin Driving School (www.leekin.com.hk).