Motorcycle training to be boosted
LICENSE PROCESS: Changes to the training course for a regular motorcycle license would include an increase in the hours of practical training for applicants to 15
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Five hours of practical training would be added to motorcycle rider training courses from Jan. 1 next year, including three additional hours of on-road training, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said on Wednesday, adding that pilot on-road motorcycle license tests in selected regions will also begin in October next year.
The ministry since January has been redesigning licensing in a bid to improve drivers’ skills.
Although attending a training course is not required prior to taking a motorcycle license test, the Highway Bureau provides subsidies to do so.
A motorcycle rider practices at a site in Taipei’s Shilin District on Jan. 10.
Photo: CNA
In the first six months of this year, 784 motorcyclists died within 30 days of being involved in a traffic incident, accounting for nearly 60 percent of total deaths in the category, ministry data showed.
Highway Bureau data showed that 59,912 people obtained government subsidies to take motorcycle training courses last year, up from 40,378 in 2024.
The training course for a regular motorcycle license consists of six hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of practical training.
Proposed amendments to the Regulations Governing the Management of Private Motor Vehicle Driver Training Institutions (民營汽車駕駛人訓練機構管理辦法) announced on Wednesday would increase practical training hours for license applicants to 15, effective from Jan. 1 next year.
The five additional hours would be two hours of motorcycle handling skills at the training venue and three hours of on-road training to improve field of vision awareness, recognition of road conditions and the judgement of when to use headlights, the ministry said.
In addition to the increase in practical training hours, the ministry also announced that it would begin a trial in October next year to conduct on-road tests for motorcycle license applicants.
People would be eligible for a NT$1,300 subsidy after applying through a driving school, paying the course fee, completing the training and obtaining a license within the subsidy period, the Highway Bureau’s Web site said.
People who undergo post-test road-safety training are eligible for a NT$1,200 subsidy, while those who undergo pre-test road-driving training can receive NT$2,500, it said.
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