Transport Department approves route expansion for autonomous vehicles pilot licence trials in North Lantau
The Transport Department (TD) announced today (June 18) that a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs) has been updated in accordance with section 20(3)(b) of the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (Cap. 374AA) to expand the routes for AV trials in North Lantau.
The applicant has been approved to conduct trials for 10 AVs during a specified time on specified road sections in Tung Chung. Three autonomous private cars can be operated in each road test at most. The specified expanded routes cover Man Tung Road, Ying Hei Road, Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung Eastern Interchange, Yu Tung Road, Chung Yan Road, Shun Tung Road, Tung Chung Waterfront Road and Wai Tung Road.
A spokesman for the TD said that the North Lantau project, which commenced in December 2024, has made significant progress to date. The TD has expedited ongoing monitoring, proactively taken forward the project and granted approval under the new AV regulatory framework, achieving several technical advancements within months. They included scaling up the trials from a single vehicle to 10 vehicles operating simultaneously to collect multi-vehicle data, conducting designated passenger-carrying trials on specific routes after safety assessment, expanding the trial scope to roads with more complex traffic scenarios, and increasing the maximum speed limit to 50 km/h based on the trial route. This updated pilot licence further expands the trial routes, so that more useful data can be collected to evaluate AV performance in more different road conditions and communities.
The TD's label for pilot AV shall be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. Details of the pilot licence have been uploaded to the TD's website on AV trials.
The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications for a pilot licence and act in concert to promote the further development of autonomous driving in Hong Kong. Upon receipt of an application, the TD will consider various factors, including the design operating range and functions of the autonomous system submitted by the applicant, relevant international or national standards/guidelines, and the road test situations, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles before approval. The TD will exercise stringent control with a view to promoting AV trials and development in Hong Kong in a safe and orderly manner.
164 more nomination forms for Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections received today
The Returning Officers for the various subsectors of the 2026 Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections received a total of 160 nomination forms for candidates and four nomination forms from designated bodies today (October 8). This brings to 465 the total number of nomination forms for candidates and six the total number of nomination forms from designated bodies received since nominations opened yesterday (October 7). The nomination period will end on October 20.
The breakdown of candidate nomination forms received by each subsector is set out below:
| First Sector |
| Subsector | No. of nomination forms for candidates received today | Cumulative total |
| Catering | 0 | 0 |
| Commercial (first) | 2 | 2 |
| Commercial (second) | 0 | 1 |
| Commercial (third) | 14 | 21 |
| Employers' Federation of Hong Kong | 3 | 6 |
| Finance | 4 | 8 |
| Financial services | 5 | 12 |
| Hotel | 10 | 11 |
| Import and export | 0 | 7 |
| Industrial (first) | 3 | 8 |
| Industrial (second) | 0 | 0 |
| Insurance | 4 | 8 |
| Real estate and construction | 1 | 1 |
| Small and medium enterprises | 0 | 0 |
| Textiles and garment | 0 | 0 |
| Tourism | 2 | 19 |
| Transport | 2 | 3 |
| Wholesale and retail | 0 | 0 |
|
| Second Sector |
| Subsector | No. of nomination forms for candidates received today | Cumulative total |
| Accountancy | 4 | 9 |
| Architectural, surveying, planning and landscape | 1 | 2 |
| Chinese medicine | 9 | 15 |
| Education | 0 | 14 |
| Engineering | 0 | 4 |
| Legal | 1 | 2 |
| Medical and health services | 2 | 4 |
| Social welfare | 1 | 1 |
| Sports, performing arts, culture and publication | 0 | 13 |
| Technology and innovation | 1 | 1 |
|
| Third Sector |
| Subsector | No. of nomination forms for candidates received today | Cumulative total |
| Agriculture and fisheries | 21 | 67 |
| Associations of Chinese fellow townsmen | 15 | 38 |
| Grassroots associations | 21 | 31 |
| Labour | 0 | 60 |
|
| Fourth Sector |
| Subsector | No. of nomination forms for candidates received today | Cumulative total |
| Heung Yee Kuk | 0 | 28 |
| Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong and Kowloon | 21 | 41 |
| Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories | 12 | 12 |
|
| Fifth Sector |
| Subsector | No. of nomination forms for candidates received today | Cumulative total |
| Representatives of Hong Kong members of relevant national organisations | 1 | 16 |
| | |
| Total: | 160 | 465 |
Besides, a total of four nomination forms were received from designated bodies by each subsector:
| Accountancy |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| Association of Hong Kong Accounting Advisors Limited | 0 | 0 |
|
| Chinese medicine |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| WFCMS (Hong Kong) Council Members Association Limited | 0 | 0 |
|
| Legal |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| China Law Society's HK Council Members Association | 1 (9 nominees in total) | 1 (9 nominees in total) |
|
| Sports, performing arts, culture and publication |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China | 0 | 0 |
| China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Hong Kong Member Association Limited | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Publishing Federation Limited | 0 | 0 |
|
| Technology and innovation |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| The Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians | 0 | 0 |
|
| Religious |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong | 0 | 0 |
| Chinese Muslim Cultural and Fraternal Association | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Christian Council | 0 | 0 |
| The Hong Kong Taoist Association | 0 | 0 |
| The Confucian Academy | 0 | 0 |
| The Hong Kong Buddhist Association | 0 | 0 |
|
| Representatives of associations of Hong Kong residents in the Mainland |
| Designated body | No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today | Cumulative total |
| Mainland China (Shenzhen) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 0 | 0 |
| Mainland China (Guangzhou) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 0 | 0 |
| Mainland China (Dongguan) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 0 | 0 |
| Mainland China (Zhongshan) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 0 | 0 |
| Mainland China (Huizhou) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 0 | 0 |
| Mainland China (Fujian, Xiamen) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Tianjin | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Shanghai | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Zhejiang | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Guangdong | 0 | 1 (1 nominee in total) |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Fujian | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Guangxi | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Sichuan | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Wuhan | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Liaoning | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Shandong | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Professionals (Beijing) Association | 0 | 0 |
| Shanghai Hong Kong Association | 1 (1 nominee in total) | 1 (1 nominee in total) |
| Guangzhou Tianhe Hong Kong and Macau Youth Association | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong Association of China Business | 0 | 1 (1 nominee in total) |
| Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, Qianhai, Shenzhen | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong and Macau Entrepreneurs Branch, Chongqing Overseas Association | 0 | 0 |
| Fujian Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs | 0 | 0 |
| Hong Kong and Macao Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Federation in Zhongkai Huizhou | 1 (1 nominee in total) | 1 (1 nominee in total) |
| The Hong Kong Fellowship in Huadu Guangzhou | 1 (1 nominee in total) | 1 (1 nominee in total) |
| The Hong Kong Fellowship in Chancheng Foshan | 0 | 0 |
|
| Total: | 4 (12 nominees in total) | 6 (14 nominees in total) |
Particulars of the nominations received today will be uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).
Source: AI-found images
