TAXI DRIVER'S LICENCE (Priority for test to applicant on compassionate grounds)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour whether the Registrar of Vehicles will consider granting priority for a test to an applicant for a taxi driver's licence on compassionate grounds.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Registrar of Vehicles will consider granting priority for a test to an applicant for a taxi driver's licence on compassionate grounds, but only for exceptional cases. Over a short period of two weeks the Registry of Vehicles received about 22,000 applications for taxi driver's licence when it invited applications in May this year. Only applicants who fulfilled the prerequisite conditions were selected to attend a training course and take the test. Many applicants have claimed to be unemployed or in financial hardship and have asked to be given priority to sit for the test. Much as the Registry of Vehicles would like to help, it is not possible to grant priority to so many of them. Therefore, only exceptional cases will be considered.

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, in the Minister's reply, which is a rather uncertain reply, he has said that only exceptional cases will be considered. I do not know how exceptional is "exceptional". If I disclose -

Mr Speaker: Mr Ho, are you asking a supplementary question?

Mr Ho See Bong: Yes, I am asking a supplementary question.

Mr Speaker: Then please put your question.

Mr Ho See Bong: If I disclose the nature of the compassion to the Minister, I wonder whether he will give me a more specific reply - "yes" no" to granting priority to the applicant.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: I leave it to the Member to decide whether he would like to tell me about it now, or whether would he like to write to me giving me the details of the case.

Mr Ho See Bong: I will write to the Minister.