Kwoon Chung granted license to test autonomous light bus at West Kowloon Cultural District

Kwoon Chung Motors Company has received a license to test autonomous vehicles at the West Kowloon Cultural District.

The company has been granted approval to conduct trials for two autonomous light buses in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) at a specified time on specified road sections between the WKCD West Gate, the WKCD private road section, the WKCDA Project Site Office, Museum Drive and Cultural Drive.

During the trial, a backup operator stationed on board will take over control of the vehicle if necessary, according to a statement released by Hong Kong's Transport Department on Thursday.

The license will be valid from December 27, 2024 to October 2, 2025, with only one self-driving car allowed to operate on specified road sections at a time.

China's Baidu has previously received the city’s first license to test autonomous vehicles with its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Hong Kong as it expands its footprint outside the Chinese mainland.

It was approved to conduct trials for 10 autonomous vehicles in North Lantau. It is also Baidu's first known permit for autonomous vehicle testing outside mainland China.

The company's robotaxi service Apollo Go operates in multiple Chinese cities, with the largest fleet, of more than 400 vehicles, in central China's Wuhan city.