The Transport Department today announced that the COVID-19 testing service for the transport sector will be extended from August 17.

The service will cover employees of franchised bus companies, kaito operators, designated driving schools, driving improvement schools and pre-service training schools for public light bus drivers as well as private driving instructors.

The testing service contractor will provide swab self-sampling kits to franchised bus companies starting from August 17.

The companies will distribute the kits and collect their employees' specimens for testing by the testing service contractor.

Kaito operators and their employees should bring staff identity cards or letters issued by their employers along with valid Hong Kong identity cards to distribution points at designated periods on August 18 and 19 to collect the swab self-sampling kits. They should return the specimen to the distribution points as soon as possible.

Private driving instructors holding valid driving instructor licences or employees with staff identity cards or letters issued by driving improvement schools and pre-service training schools for public light bus drivers should also bring along the documents mentioned above and their valid Hong Kong identity cards to the designated distribution point at specified periods on August 20 and 21 for swab self-sampling kits.

The testing is voluntary and free of charge. Each participant can conduct the test once.

The contractor will not retain the participants’ data. If a participant's test result is positive, the contractor will notify the Transport Department about the specimen serial number.

For a specimen serial number which belongs to an employee of a kaito operator, a driving improvement school or a pre-service training school for public light bus drivers, or a private driving instructor, the department will relay the details of the participant to the Centre for Health Protection for follow-up.

For a specimen serial number that belongs to an employee of a franchised bus company or a designated driving school, the department will notify the company concerned to relay the employee's information directly to the centre.

Taxi and public light bus drivers who have not participated in the testing service can also visit the distribution points to collect swab self-sampling kits.

Click here for details.