TD to continue to arrange free COVID-19 voluntary testing services for taxi and public light bus drivers and employees of local ferry operators

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (February 19) that starting from Monday (February 22), a new round of COVID-19 voluntary testing services will be arranged for taxi and public light bus (PLB) drivers and employees of local ferry operators.
      
     Testing is an integral part of the strategy in preventing and fighting the virus. The TD will continue to arrange a new round of free voluntary testing services for taxi and PLB drivers for a period of two weeks from February 22 to March 7. The locations, opening dates and hours of the five designated testing centres are at the Annex. 
         
     Taxi and PLB drivers may make an appointment via the dedicated online booking system of the TD (https://covidtest.td.gov.hk) starting from tomorrow (February 20). At the time of the appointment, drivers should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, select a time slot and designated testing centre, and fill in a contact number for receiving SMS notifications. Upon completion of registration, the system will display the booking confirmation, and issue an SMS which confirms the date and time of the booking, the name of the testing centre and a booking number.
      
     Taxi and PLB drivers who have made an appointment should bring along the original Hong Kong identity card used for booking, a valid taxi driver identity plate or public light bus driver identity plate, and the booking confirmation SMS, and visit the selected testing centre during the appointment time slot. Duty officers of the testing agency will assist drivers with the registration and collect the specimen of the combined nasal and throat swab test. The testing agency will deliver the specimens collected to the laboratory for testing. As no personal information will be indicated on the specimen bottles, the testing agency will only have records of the barcode number of the specimen bottles and will not collect personal information. Drivers who have a negative test result will receive an SMS notification, while cases with positive test results will be relayed to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health for follow-up.
      
     Taxi drivers who have completed the testing will be given the "Participation Tag for Taxi Drivers" at the testing centre and may display the tag at a prominent position inside the taxi compartment to enable passengers' checking.
      
     As to employees of local ferry operators, the ferry operators have already notified their employees to bring along their valid staff identity cards or letters issued by the ferry operators during specific time slots from February 22 to 25 to undergo the test at specified locations.
      
     The TD strongly appeals to taxi and PLB drivers and employees of local ferry operators to participate in the testing to assist in safeguarding public health and minimise the risk of community transmission.
      
     For details of the testing service, please visit the website of the TD (www.td.gov.hk).