TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Highway Bureau (公路局), the government agency overseeing driver licensing, announced on Wednesday (Oct. 1) a new motorcycle road test pilot program beginning this month that will affect approximately 220,000 people annually. The initiative requires passing written and field tests plus obtaining a learner's permit before road training and final road testing for license acquisition.
The bureau outlined three major licensing reforms focused on examination rigor enhancement. Written tests for both motorcycles and cars will transition from true-or-false to multiple-choice questions, aiming to improve testing processes and ensure drivers possess necessary knowledge and skills for safe operation.
Wu Chi-chuan (吳季娟), head of the Motor Vehicles Division (監理組), the bureau's licensing department, emphasized implementing motorcycle road training at Taiwan's approximately 110 driving schools. The bureau plans introducing this training in September next year, marking a significant advancement in driver education and safety standards.
Chen Yung-chin (陳永親), chairman of the Automobile Driving Education Society of the Republic of China (中華民國汽車駕駛教育學會), Taiwan's driving school association, acknowledged reform-associated costs while expressing hope for additional government budget support. Chen noted a fee adjustment application might be submitted next year to accommodate the training changes.