Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has slammed driving schools over opaque fees, with one charging nearly twice the quoted rate for extra lessons to meet the minimum number of training hours.
The Consumer Council said on Monday that all 32 basic courses offered by 11 driving schools failed to meet the Transport Department’s requirement of 30 hours of practical training, forcing students to buy extra lessons and go over their original budget.
“The current situation is not ideal, as the packages cannot give consumers a clear idea of how much they have to spend before getting their licence,” council chief Alaina Shum Jiu-fai said.
The council found that the package with the fewest number of practice hours offered only 10 hours of training, while the one with the most offered 27 hours and 45 minutes.
“If the practical training hours included in a package cannot give learners sufficient confidence for the road test, they often need to purchase additional lessons to gain more experience, which may lead to budget overruns,” the watchdog said.
A survey of 324 respondents found that more than 30 per cent had received over 30 hours of driving training before passing the road test.
Shum said the cost of obtaining a permit at schools designated by the department would be more expensive because they also served as a testing ground, giving students an edge.
“These designated schools also offer theory lessons, explaining the difference in price,” Shum said.
She added the council hoped to provide a benchmark for students before they signed up with the different schools.
“When advertising, schools should show the associated charges from extra lessons and have greater transparency,” she said.
Simulating scenarios to calculate the actual cost of completing the recommended 30 hours of training, the council found that the total fees could vary by more than HK$10,000 (US$1,286.47) between schools.
For automatic transmission private car courses in Kowloon and the New Territories, total costs ranged from HK$15,130 to HK$26,638, a difference of more than HK$10,000.
Total costs for courses on Hong Kong Island also varied significantly, ranging from HK$15,501 to HK$26,638.
The watchdog added that surcharges for vehicle rental and licence applications, which most driving schools excluded from their advertised package fees, made it difficult for learners to compare prices across schools.
For example, the actual total cost of using a package advertised at HK$4,320 could reach HK$7,578 after including vehicle rental and more than HK$1,000 in fees for the driving test and learner’s licence – a difference of over HK$3,200.
To help consumers better understand the total cost of learning to drive, the council recommended the industry adopt a standardised fee disclosure mechanism.
It called on driving schools to offer packages with training hours closer to the 30-hour recommendation and include practical training hours as a key reference in course promotions, enhancing transparency and consumer confidence. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
