The Transport Department (TD) said it is working to enhance its online appointment system for handling the direct issuance of Hong Kong full driving licenses, with new measures expected to be rolled out in March.
In recent days, overnight queues have formed outside the department’s Admiralty licensing office, where only 140 daily tokens are available. The surge in demand has been driven by the launch of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme. Some proxy agents have also been assisting clients in obtaining licenses in advance of joining the scheme.
Speaking on a television program, Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said individual applicants are finding it difficult to secure tokens under the current system.
He suggested that the department consider implementing separate queues to better accommodate both agents and individual applicants.
Lee also expressed concern over the situation, noting that intermediaries setting up chairs overnight outside government offices does not project a positive image when compared with other international cities.
The number of applications for direct-issue licenses has shown an upward trend over the past three years, rising from more than 67,000 in 2023 to over 84,000 last year. More than 80 percent of applicants hold mainland driving licenses.
The TD had originally aimed to fully implement the online appointment system by the end of last year, which would have eliminated the need for on-site token distribution.
In response to inquiries, the department said it is upgrading the appointment system, strengthening identity verification, and exploring the use of artificial intelligence to facilitate document submission, with the aim of reducing reliance on agents.
The TD added that system enhancements are now in the final testing phase. Once launched in March, counters for direct-issue licenses will be expanded to three additional offices, and the number of available appointment slots will also be increased.
