Dedicated line-connected autonomous bus for Citybus expected to go on trial in 2025

A 19-seat ‘connected’ autonomous bus is expected to go on trial in 2025 after Citybus Limited (Citybus) and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) announced their collaboration on Tuesday.

This came after Citybus and ASTRI today signed a key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on research and development projects related to autonomous driving and Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology and to conduct live road tests on the Hong Kong Science Park to University MTR Station route and within the Kai Tak Development Area.

This inaugural collaboration between the two organizations seeks to leverage Citybus expertise in developing and operating public transportation systems and ASTRI's advanced technologically intelligent mobility technologies to establish a new model for transportation in Hong Kong.

Citybus will support two ASTRI projects that have already secured funding approval from the HKSAR Government’s Smart Traffic Fund.

The bus company will engage with ASTRI to explore further intelligent mobility projects that can drive the digitization of public transportation operations and the broader application of artificial intelligence. 

The 19-seat ‘connected’ autonomous bus will run between the Hong Kong Science Park and University MTR Station.

The trial aims to assess the viability of connected autonomous buses in a complex public road environment, encompassing roundabouts and public transport interchanges.

It is anticipated that the trial run will encompass and cover pre-registered passengers during 2025, with Citybus providing operational knowhow and support.

The projects are expected to yield valuable R&D data to further enhance the precision and reliability of the C-V2X system and wider autonomous bus technologies across various real-life scenarios, contributing to the advancement of Hong Kong's smart mobility and public transportation innovation.