TD issues pilot licence for autonomous vehicles to approve trial on "Park & Fly" carpark at HZMB Hong Kong Port
The Transport Department (TD) announced today (December 25) that a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs) has been issued to approve an AV trial on specified road sections connecting the "Park & Fly" carpark at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port, in accordance with section 4(1) of the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (Cap. 374AA).
The entire project connects the "Park & Fly" carpark at the HZMB Hong Kong Port to the SkyPier Terminal of the Hong Kong International Airport, with the approved road sections for the trial running from the "Park & Fly" carpark to the entrance of the Airport restricted area. During the initial stage of the trial, a backup operator will be stationed in each pilot AV at all times to take over control when necessary. 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.
A spokesman for the TD said that the project aims to achieve carriage of passengers gradually after completing the trials. This will provide convenience for self-drive travellers under the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (port carparks) to park at the automated "Park & Fly" carpark and transfer for a flight at the SkyPier Terminal via AVs, providing a better cross-boundary experience. Driving and road safety remain the top priority, and the Government will draw on practical experience to refine technical standards, share research findings with the industry in a timely manner, and implement these initiatives in a prudent and orderly process.
The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications for a pilot licence. Upon receipt of an application, the TD will consider various factors, including the design operating range and functions of the autonomous system, relevant national or international standards/guidelines, and the road test situations, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles before approval. Among them, the TD has been accepting submissions of the Guobiao (GB) to substantiate that the vehicles or their components comply with the relevant technical requirements and vehicle construction standards. In addition, the operation experience and performance of AV in areas outside Hong Kong (including the Mainland), such as test reports in accordance with the GB, will be taken into consideration by the TD in evaluating the performance of the vehicle automation.
Source: AI-found images
Latest figures of primary healthcare services provided by Health Bureau to residents affected by Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire
The Health Bureau (HHB) announced earlier the medical support provided for residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. At present, the District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) across all 18 districts in Hong Kong serve as hubs to co-ordinate various primary healthcare services as needed for the affected residents. The HHB announced today (December 25) the latest figures of these services:
DHC hotlines
Under the co-ordination of the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission), the DHCs across all 18 districts in Hong Kong have set up hotlines since December 1 (see Annex 1) to provide personalised case management services for affected residents, offering more convenient and comprehensive medical support. The support includes pairing the affected residents with free consultation services provided by private family doctors and Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners, co-ordinating arrangements for follow-up appointments and medication refills at the Hospital Authority (HA)'s Family Medicine Out-patient (FMOP) Services as necessary, and making referrals to necessary healthcare, nursing and medication services, as well as psychological support. The services co-ordinated by DHCs are not subject to district boundaries. For example, the Centres may assist affected residents in transferring HA FMOP follow-up appointments and medication refill service points, from the Tai Po District to another location, thereby sparing residents the need for travelling across districts. As of December 23, the DHCs hotlines across all 18 districts have received over 176 enquiries in total.
Free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners and free denture replacement services
The HHB introduced a free family doctor service scheme and free CM consultation services on December 4 and 15 respectively to support the primary healthcare needs of the affected residents until February 28 next year. Case managers of the DHCs will arrange for them to receive up to three free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners respectively based on their individual situations and preferences. The service covers the provision of medication and related treatments. Additionally, free denture replacement services were launched on December 23. Residents in need can receive at least one free dental consultation and one follow-up appointment (subject to clinical need) through the arrangement of the DHCs. The services include denture replacement and oral treatment.
As of December 23, more than 300 private family doctors have participated in the free family doctor service scheme, covering more than 450 service points that include eight private hospitals. So far, 57 affected residents have been arranged to receive free family doctor consultations. As for the free CM consultation services, more than 360 CM practitioners have participated, covering more than 600 service points, and 16 residents have been arranged to receive the services so far. Regarding free denture replacement services, more than 80 private dentists have participated, covering 106 service points.
HA's healthcare services
All individuals injured in the fire and admitted to public hospitals under the HA will receive full fee waivers for all necessary healthcare services (including drugs and medical devices) throughout the entire process of their treatment and rehabilitation. A total of 79 patients received treatment at various public hospitals due to the fire. As of December 23, 65 of them had already recovered and were discharged, and the remaining 14 are in stable condition. Healthcare staff will continue to provide appropriate treatment and care to these patients.
Moreover, all residents of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court (including foreign domestic helpers) are eligible for full medical fee waivers until December 31, 2026. The waivers cover in-patient services, family medicine and specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs) services (including psychiatry SOPCs), accident and emergency services, day hospitals, day procedures, community services, and Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres under the HA. As of December 23, the HA has provided necessary healthcare services to around 1 600 affected residents.
Mental health support
The "18111 - Mental Health Support Hotline" immediately deployed additional staff and strengthened training for its call handlers on the day of the fire incident to cope with the emotional distress that the public may experience due to the incident. From the time of the incident to December 23, the hotline has received over 8 300 calls, around 660 of which were related to the fire incident. The WhatsApp service has handled 420 messages, with about 50 of them concerning the fire incident. The HA's 24-hour Mental Health Direct hotline, manned by psychiatric nurses, offers professional advice and support on mental health issues to callers, including provision of risk assessment and referral to the HA's mental health services as appropriate. As of December 23, the Mental Health Direct hotline has received 89 calls related to the fire incident, with 31 of them coming from the affected citizens.
The HHB will continue to provide comprehensive primary healthcare support to the affected residents. The HHB also designed the relevant service workflow from the residents' perspective, allowing them to receive convenient and effective medical support simply through the DHCs (see Annex 2).
Source: AI-found images
