Airport Island cleared for fully driverless vehicle trials

The Transport Department has approved fully driverless vehicle trials on Airport Island, allowing autonomous vehicles to operate without backup personnel on board under enhanced safety oversight.

Commissioner for Transport Winnie Tse Wing-yee said on Thursday that road safety and risk management remained the department’s priorities. Trials must comply with relevant national and international standards and be supported by comprehensive emergency response arrangements.

The department has issued eight pilot licenses covering 65 autonomous vehicles operating in trial areas across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. The trials have generally proceeded smoothly and involve Level 4, or highly automated, driving technology.

Tse said the Airport Island project had achieved four major technological breakthroughs, including multi-vehicle concurrent operation, the carriage of designated passengers, expanded routes and higher driving speeds.

Baidu Apollo International Limited has been permitted to proceed with fully driverless testing, subject to road safety requirements. The vehicles will be remotely monitored through a control center.

The licensee must submit monthly reports on the driverless trials, while the department will conduct regular site inspections and monitor operations at the remote control center.

Test vehicles must display the department’s standard autonomous vehicle label and an additional label identifying them as undergoing driverless testing.

Each vehicle must also carry valid third-party risk insurance and be fitted with an electronic data recorder.

The Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group, chaired by Tse, will continue reviewing the trials and promoting the integration of digital technology and artificial intelligence into public transport.

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