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Making taxi and bus driver's license tests available in more languages is an effort to reduce barriers for foreigners who have difficulty with licensing exams conducted only in Japanese.
The Japanese government is offering taxi and bus driver license tests in more languages, including Vietnamese, English, Chinese and Nepali.
In an effort to ease the severe labor shortage in the transportation industry, this is an effort to reduce barriers for foreigners who have difficulty with the driver's license exam, which is conducted only in Japanese.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in late April made it possible for applicants to take the exam for a Class 2 commercial license, required for transporting passengers, in English at three testing centers in the capital.
While the regular Class 1 driver's license test has been available in English for some time, the Class 2 driver's license test was previously offered only in Japanese, making it difficult for foreigners.
The Aichi Prefectural Police Department in central Japan also held a Level 2 English test from this week.
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police Department in northern Kyushu started exams in Vietnamese, English, Chinese and Nepali in late March.
About 50% of applicants for a Class 2 license pass the exam. They are required to familiarize themselves with not only traffic laws but also passenger transport standards.
According to the National Police Agency, among all Class 2 license holders for ordinary and large vehicles, there were 6,689 foreign nationals - less than 1% - at the end of 2023.
Japan's taxi and bus industries, as well as its logistics industry, are facing a severe driver shortage. The overall shortage is expected to reach about 67,000 drivers and 22,000 drivers, respectively, by 2029.
To address the problem, the National Police Agency has translated sample questions for the Class 2 driver's license into 20 languages and distributed them to all police stations to facilitate more foreigners to take the exam.
A company official said Japanese is a big barrier for foreign applicants even if they have all the other necessary knowledge, so the test language options will be "very effective."
The Japanese government has announced plans to accept up to 24,500 foreign drivers under a skilled worker visa program from 2024 to 2028.
TB (General)