Hong Kong Taxi Written Test cheat sheet

Traffic in Hong Kong keeps left; red urban taxis may pick up and set down throughout Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories except areas restricted to other taxi types.

Green New Territories taxis operate within the New Territories plus designated locations outside it, but may not pick up passengers in urban Kowloon or on Hong Kong Island.

Blue Lantau taxis are confined to Lantau Island, including Tung Chung and the airport area.

Victoria Harbour is crossed by three road tunnels: Cross-Harbour (Hung Hom to Causeway Bay), Eastern Harbour Crossing (Cha Kwo Ling to Quarry Bay) and Western Harbour Crossing (West Kowloon to Sai Ying Pun).

Chek Lap Kok airport on Lantau is reached from Kowloon by Route 8: Tsing Ma Bridge, then North Lantau Highway.

Nathan Road is the main north-south spine of Kowloon, running through Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok; Canton Road runs parallel to its west.

Hong Kong Island's east-west corridor runs Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, North Point, Quarry Bay, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan.

Principal New Territories towns include Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fanling, Sheung Shui, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi.

Double white lines may not be crossed or straddled; a single broken white centre line may be crossed to overtake when the road ahead is clear.

Double yellow lines mean no stopping at any time; a single yellow line restricts stopping during the hours shown on adjacent signs.

Do not enter a yellow box junction unless the exit road is clear, except when turning right and blocked only by oncoming traffic.

Zig-zag markings at pedestrian crossings prohibit parking and overtaking, keeping sight lines clear.

At roundabouts, give way to traffic already on the roundabout approaching from the right.

Default urban speed limit is 50 km/h; higher limits of 70, 80, 100 or 110 km/h apply only where signposted.

Legal alcohol limit: 50 mg per 100 ml of blood, equivalent to 22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath.

Hand-held mobile phone use while driving is prohibited; seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers where fitted.

Pedestrians on a zebra crossing have priority; a driver must not overtake a vehicle that has stopped at a pedestrian crossing.

A taxi driver must hold a full Hong Kong driving licence plus a valid Taxi Driver's Licence issued by the Transport Department.

The taxi driver identity card bearing a photograph must be displayed inside the vehicle where passengers can see it.

A licensed taxi must carry an illuminated roof sign marked TAXI and display its taxi licence inside the vehicle.

Refusing a hire without reasonable excuse and overcharging are criminal offences.

The meter must be of an approved type with its seal intact; tampering with or breaking the seal of a meter is an offence.

Soliciting passengers, touting for hire, or picking up at bus stops and in no-stopping zones is prohibited.

The vehicle must be covered by valid third-party insurance at all times; use of an uninsured vehicle for hire is an offence.

A driver must produce their driving licence and taxi driver's licence for inspection on demand by a police officer or authorised person.

Passengers may be carried only up to the seating capacity stated on the vehicle licence, typically four, or five in a five-seater taxi.

The driver must take the shortest practicable route to the destination unless the passenger requests a different route.

A guide dog accompanying a blind or visually impaired passenger must be carried free of charge, and refusal on that ground is an offence.

Smoking inside a taxi is prohibited by law; the driver must not smoke while carrying passengers.

The driver must not pick up additional passengers during a hire without the consent of the passenger already on board.

Property left in a taxi must be reported and handed to the police or returned to the owner; the driver must not keep it.

Service standards require courteous conduct and reasonable assistance with luggage and mobility aids for elderly or disabled passengers.

Complaints about refusal of hire, overcharging or conduct may be made to the government hotline 1823 or to the Transport Department; emergencies go to 999.

The meter must be switched on at the start of the hire, before the taxi moves off, and the displayed fare is the amount legally payable.

Only permitted extras may be added to the metered fare: luggage carried in the boot, animals or birds, and tunnel tolls actually incurred.

No additional charge may be made for extra passengers or for the number of passengers carried.

A printed receipt must be issued on request, showing the metered fare and any additional charges.

If the meter fails during a journey, the fare is calculated from the official fare table according to the distance travelled.

Demanding more than the metered amount, or agreeing a fixed price instead of using the meter, is an offence.

The meter must be mounted so that the fare display is clearly visible to passengers seated in the rear.

The driver must not use a meter with a broken seal or one that has been altered in any way.