HK greenlights autonomous vehicle trial linking HZMB and airport’s SkyCity

The Transport Department (TD) has approved a cross-district autonomous vehicle (AV) trial along the Airportcity Link, connecting the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port and SkyCity near the airport.

According to a statement released Thursday, the pilot program will involve seven autonomous public light buses operating between the two locations.

In the initial phase, a safety operator will remain inside each vehicle at all times to take over manual control when necessary. All trial vehicles will display a TD-issued label for identification by other road users.

A department spokesman said three cross-district AV trials are scheduled to commence within the year, including the Airportcity Link project and another spanning Kowloon City and Kwun Tong districts.

The government aims to pave the way for the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles and encourages the industry to use Hong Kong as a testing ground for overseas markets—particularly those with right-hand-drive systems.

The department also invited interested enterprises to apply for pilot licenses. Applications will be assessed based on factors such as the technical capabilities of the autonomous system, compliance with relevant national or international standards, and road test results.

Authorities will additionally consider the vehicles’ operational experience outside Hong Kong, including in mainland China, when evaluating their automation performance.