The Land Transport Authority (LTA) would like to remind Private Hire Car (PHC) drivers, who are providing chauffeured services on a one-year Approval-to-Drive (ATD) concession[1] to pass the PHC Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL) test and obtain their PDVLs by 30 June 2018.
Increased training and testing capacity
2. The PDVL course and tests have been conducted since LTA started receiving PDVL applications in April 2017, to equip drivers with the necessary skills to provide PHC services safely and competently. To ensure that PDVL applicants can secure PDVL training and testing slots in a timely manner, LTA appointed ComfortDelGro (CDG) Taxi as a new training provider, and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) as a new test centre[2] in December 2017[3]. The expansion of training and testing capacity has helped shorten the average waiting period for PDVL and TDVL courses and tests from four to six weeks, to about one week today.
Reminder to ATD concession holders
3. PHC drivers who are driving under the ATD concession without a PDVL, and have yet to register for training and pass the requisite PDVL tests, are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
4. LTA has also been actively reaching out to these drivers since the beginning of 2018, to remind them of the need to attend the course and pass the tests early. This is to avoid a situation where these drivers are unable to obtain a PDVL by the 30 June deadline due to a last minute surge in sign-ups. LTA has been sending regular SMSes and letter reminders to these drivers, and issuing reminders over radio broadcasts as well. LTA has also worked with industry stakeholders such as booking service providers and the National Private Hire Vehicle Association (NPHVA) to remind drivers.
5. Around 70 per cent of trained PDVL applicants have passed the test since the implementation of the PDVL. Those who need help passing the tests are strongly encouraged to participate in remedial classes, which are regularly conducted by the Singapore Taxi Academy and CDG Taxi training centres.
6. ATD concession holders who have not obtained their PDVLs by 30 June will not be allowed to continue to provide chauffeured services. Those who drive a PHC without a valid vocational licence will be liable, upon conviction, to a fine of up to $1,000 or a jail term of up to 3 months, or both.
Annex: PDVL Application Figures
[1] Applicants who applied for PDVLs before 1 July 2017 were issued the Approval-To-Drive concession, which allows applicants to provide chauffeured services without a PDVL up to 30 June 2018, during which they have to attend and pass the requisite training and test to obtain a PDVL. Applicants who applied for the PDVL on or after 1 July 2017 are only be able to provide chauffeured services after obtaining their PDVLs.
[2] Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence (TDVL) applicants can also attend TDVL courses and tests at CDG Taxi and e2i respectively.
[3] This was in addition to the Singapore Taxi Academy (STA), which has been providing PDVL course and tests since April 2017.
