In Parliament
Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Janil Puthucheary to Parliamentary Question on Passing Rate of Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence
9 July 2018
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Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport
a. since the implementation of the private hire driver's vocational licence, what has been the passing rate for applicants; and
b. whether the Ministry will consider allowing the tests to be conducted in vernacular languages especially for older drivers.
Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Janil Puthucheary:
1. The passing rate for the Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL) test is about 80%.
2. Private hire car (PHC) drivers must be able to read and speak simple English. This is so that they can navigate roads and buildings, the names of which are primarily in English. This also ensures that the drivers can communicate effectively with all commuters – both Singaporeans and tourists. This is why the PDVL course and test are conducted in English. There are no plans to conduct the tests in other languages.