old topic again - driving license

thanks for your help/answers in advance..

Hi

I got mine in 2004. You need to have a work visa/resident permit from the immigration department(the one at the stadium). If the expats have an existing license from his or her home country, he or she only need to take a written test(it was done in chinese) at the traffic police in Tangjia area(think that is where they learn driving as well).
I brought along a chinese friend to do the test in chinese for me!!
Not sure whether a translator is allowed now!

Yeah, got through the "hot"line of traffic bureau finally. but got a vague answer. the guy on the phone suggested me to contact the test center to see what documents and who will be allowed to take the exam..
thanks anyway, need to try to get through another "hot"line connected to the test center!

I think it is better to go to the test center(in Tangjia) personally.

They are quite flexible when they see you in person.(that was the case during my time..)..

Check here as well :
http://zhuhai.expat9.com/handbook/driving-zhuhai

Ok... so before paying the 5 or 6 K for a under the table Drivers license... I just attended an all day class in Chinese about 20 min north of shan Tswo... and I take the test on Weds...

Problem is... the test will be in english, but they don't have any study materials in english...

so I basically have to wing it and see how it goes... And if I don't pass with 90 correct out of 100... I will ask them how do I study? I will report how it goes after i take the test....

try this link:
bahlmann.freespaces.com/content/4dl/chindl_qa.pdf

I found this a long time ago, so one must now question if it's still current.

If you have any problems downloading it, let me know as I have a copy somewhere around here - it's a funny read.

regards,

T. Tempest. DCA
____________________
"I'd love a thousand words in a foreign language." Tang Yuchuan
All welcome to visit my homepage http://www.kong-xi.com/doc.html

What price did it cost you dong_bei1803. I have been trying to find the time to do mine, I have to go the Guangzhou and have a local do the written test for me. The cost was about RMB3000 but pretty much a guarantee to get one. I thing the person who does it advertises somewhere in this site - I have her details somewhere. Just haven't gotten to do it yet.

well if I remembered correctly it cost much less than that!
Anyway I understand from another member( of this website) that there is an english test now. U need to take a one day lesson than take a written test, I am not very sure about the details but I hope that member will post the details soon on this website.!
You can also call the traffic police in Tangjia area directly for the details. Maybe JJ can provide the telephone numbers ?

I heard a rumor that China is finally accepting an International Drivers Permit (IDP) to drive within China. Can anyone verify this?

I ask this in all seriousness and am not taking the pi$$, as Blue Moon would say. Why in the wide, wide world of sports would ANY of you want/need to drive in China? It bewilders me, I guess...

Can't let the Zhuhai taxi drivers have all the fun.

canrun@
The main reason that I don't drive here is that I would probably commit a serious "road rage" crime within minutes of getting behind the wheel. I would be prompted to do this, no doubt, by the sheer lunacy and stupidity of the local drivers.

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You can get more with a kind word....and a gun....than you can with only a kind word!

And I thought as long as you could hold a mobile in one hand and blow the horn with the other while playing chicken with every car and pedestrian, (people walking),in your path, then you were a shoe in for a drivers license.

I was in the Hunan province last week and caused an accident by my very presence. It seems I was the first foreigner that anyone could every remember being in the town, and it showed. I had a ball watching them watching me, waving, smiling, xin nian kuai le etc etc. One poor motorcyclist spend so much time watching me as he rode past he didn't see the truck reversing onto the street and pranged smack into the side of it. Luckily he had slowed down so much to have a good gawk, that there was no damage except to his pride. Eventually he also joined in the laughter. There were several other close calls of a similar nature.

If you get a license here, your stress level will increase 400%. I recently returned from driving 2000klms in 10 days in Australia. I really enjoyed it and blew my horn once ! (dog crossing the road )
My wife couldnt get over the fact , that people actually stop and give way. I did drive onto the right hand side twice lol , which blew my passengers out !!

I would drive in rural areas like Pingsha but probably wouldnt bother in Zhuhai proper or Shenzhen but then I maight for short trips to buy something or to take the car for a car wash.

I asked this question a while back, but never got an answer. Did Zhuhai, like Guangzhou, recently (in the past few years)pass an ordinance that banned motor bikes and motor scooters from the central city?

Zhuhai used to be swarming with them a few years ago; but now, I can count on one hand the ones that I see on any given day.

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You can get more with a kind word....and a gun....than you can with only a kind word!

The answer to you question would be yes. You can no longer license a motorbike or scooter in Zhuhai. I think even the electric bicycles may be banned going forward?

I have actually twice seen the local traffic police (oxymoron) loading motorbikes into the back of a pickup.

This is my wife's hometown. What an absolute mess. As these motorized bikes are considered bicycles, they are all over the sidewalks. No regulations. Just awful. Zhuhai did the right thing.

http://liuzhou.blog-city.com/zone.htm?

http://liuzhou.blog-city.com/motorpsycho_nightmare_1.htm?

Great to have a hobby.

BTW love the badge,

regards,
T. Tempest. DCA

____________________

"I'd love a thousand words in a foreign language." Tang Yuchuan

Tsc Tempest Photography at http://www.kong-xi.com/doc.html

@Canrun:

I could not agree with you more! The Zhuhai city government, in one of its occasional flashes of lucidity, did exactly the right thing.

I lived 10 months in Zhongshan before returning to Zhuhai. There, about every other shop along all of the city’s main streets is a shop which sells those silent, unguided, anti- personnel missiles.

Being a pedestrian there is something like being a kickoff return specialist in the NFL who never knows where the next “blindside” hit is going to come from.

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"I've got more problems in my life than a cub scout at the Neverland Ranch."
Larry The Cable Guy From the film "Delta Farce"

It's ironic, the West is trying hard to get people out of cars and onto bikes and the East is trying to push them off bikes and into cars. To me those electric scooters / bikes make good sense, not that I like them on the footpath, and would hate to ride one on the road mixed with cars. I'll stick to walking and taxi.

The thing I miss most about back home is my 1100cc Yamaha V-Star cruiser. I would love to have one here for driving outside the city, but in the city forget it!

Unfortunately you have to have serious guanxi to get a motorcycle bigger than 150cc in China. Both Beijing and Shanghai have Harley stores, but you can not ride them inside the outer rings. No other place sells anything bigger than 150cc that I am aware of.

At least you can drive / ride something here. My passion is ultralight aircraft ... the sky is murk and finding flat, clear landing sites is all but impossible. I no longer look to the sky, it's too depressing.

Roy, if you go to the light aircraft runway, there are a couple of ultralights flying there, they look like homebuilts..It is just right of the Sands Bar on the Jida beach and usually on weekends. I have a PPL and when living above Ridong, was tempted to go and enquire !
Getting back to the electric thingo...I have had a couple of electric scooters...looked like overgrown vespas, but quite fast 50 klm/h . They were 500w and I didnt ride on the footpath. I had no problem riding with the traffic. Then the new law came in about them being illegal and I sold mine.They were great...2 seaters and about 50klm to a charge.
Recently I saw a few 2 wheelers and trikes on the Sunshine coast in Queensland Australia. You can ride them on the road with a car license.Currently you can legally buy electric bikes (overgrown bicycle ). Cost about 1200rmb...great way to get around (just make sure you buy stainless chain and good lock !)

Update:

http://liuzhou.blog-city.com/street_murderers.htm

Again...kudos to the Zhuhai government! 爱我中华!

Man, what has gotten into me??

I need a drink.

I bought a car in late October 2007 so I figured that maybe I should get a license to drive it legally. My wife was introduced to some guy who owns a driving school and he claimed that he could get one easily but after a month and a half there was no progress. He apparently got licenses for Taiwanese and Macanese people but said the American passport made my application more difficult.

Anyway, I pulled the plug on this guy and contacted Lisa Hong at www.china-driving-license.com She was very professional and I had a license in a bit over a month. Cost was about 4000rmb. No test, no hassles, no lines to stand in. This lady did a great job. She's based in Zhuhai and apparently gets licenses done for expats all over China. I recommend her highly. lisareckleben77@yahoo.com.cn

Thanks Blue Moon, I had heard about the Ultralights down there. I have been there once or twice to watch some model jets flying, so next time I go down there I will ask around. When I went to the Zhuhai air show we were told of some about to set up, but never heard from them. Re Scooters, they are also illegal in most places in OZ, but my flying club is swarming with them ... perfect for getting from hangar to hangar.