Transport Department Approves Expansion of Autonomous Vehicles Trial in North Lantau and Commencement of Driverless Trial on Airport Island

TD approves expansion of autonomous vehicles trial in North Lantau and commencement of driverless trial on Airport Island

The Transport Department (TD) announced today (July 23) 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 further expand the AV trial in North Lantau, including commencing a driverless trial on Airport Island.

In February, the TD approved AVs on Airport Island trial routes to be monitoredby operators in the remote control centre, in addition to the in-vehicle backup operators. The trials of remote operation to date have met the requirements regarding safety, stability, accuracy and smoothness. Upon examining the test reports and conducting multiple site inspections, the TD is satisfied with the safety performance of AVs, with no abnormalities detected so far. While ensuring road safety, the TD has approved the driverless tests to commence on Airport Island with no in-vehicle backup operators. In addition, for the Tung Chung and Sunny Bay trial, remote backup operators will be introduced on top of in-vehicle backup operators to test remote operations.

The Commissioner for Transport, Miss Winnie Tse, said, "The launch of fully remote testing for Hong Kong's first AV pilot licence trial has achieved the driverless operations. This marks an important step toward realising the goals of driverless, scaled-up and commercialised AV operations as set out in the Policy Address and the Transport Strategy Blueprint, as well as achieving a milestone in accelerating the introduction of autonomous driving locally. I will continue to lead the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group, working with its members from the industry and different departments, to monitor the progress of various trials and provide the necessary support and co-ordination, promoting the safe development of AVs in a proactive and orderly manner."

The updated details of the pilot licence have been uploaded to the TD's website on AV trials. The TD's pilot AV labels must be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. To facilitate easier identification of AVs undergoing driverless trials by drivers and pedestrians, additional labels (see attachment)will be put up on the vehicle body to indicate that a fully driverless test of an AV is in progress.

The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications for a pilot licence for AVs. Upon receipt of an application, the TD will consider various factors, including the operational design domain and functions of the autonomous driving system, relevant national or international standards/guidelines, and the road testing conditions, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles, before approval.

The Transport Department (TD) announced today (July 23) the further expansion of the autonomous vehicles (AVs) trial in North Lantau, including commencing a driverless trial on Airport Island. The TD's pilot AV labels must be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. To facilitate easier identification of AVs undergoing driverless trials by drivers and pedestrians, additional labels will be put up on the vehicle body to indicate that a fully driverless test of an AV is in progress. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Transport Department (TD) announced today (July 23) the further expansion of the autonomous vehicles (AVs) trial in North Lantau, including commencing a driverless trial on Airport Island. The TD's pilot AV labels must be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. To facilitate easier identification of AVs undergoing driverless trials by drivers and pedestrians, additional labels will be put up on the vehicle body to indicate that a fully driverless test of an AV is in progress. Photo shows the Commissioner for Transport, Miss Winnie Tse (right), and the pilot proprietor's representative. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED attends APEC Ministerial Meeting held virtually

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, last evening (November 3) attended the 37th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting held virtually through video conference.

Under the theme for APEC China this year - "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together", Mr Yau at a discussion session highlighted that member economies must act together through enhanced dialogue and co-operation to achieve shared prosperity amid an ever-changing landscape and rapid technological advancement.

Citing digital transformation as an example, Mr Yau said that practical co-operation will continue to be required among member economies to harness their respective strengths in digital technologies in a people-centred and inclusive manner. Domestically, Hong Kong is strengthening its research capacity in frontier technologies, and launching programmes to promote public awareness and responsible use of AI. Hong Kong looks forward to sharing its experiences and engaging in mutual learning with other member economies in these areas.

Meanwhile, Mr Yau called on member economies to continue to strengthen connectivity in various areas, enabling the efficient flow of goods, services, capital, and people, while narrowing development gaps and creating opportunities for all sectors across the region. He added that any of the co-operation among member economies should continue to be guided by the Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the Aotearoa Plan of Action.

At another discussion session, Mr Yau shared his insights on how to enhance economic integration for new growth in the region. Noting that enhancing economic integration has been the core objective of APEC, he said that one of the directions is to continue to advance the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

"As part of Hong Kong's wider efforts to contribute to the FTAAP agenda, we have been actively seeking early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. We welcome the establishment of the Accession Working Group for Hong Kong in September this year, and hope that our accession could inject fresh impetus into advancing the FTAAP agenda," Mr Yau said.

Mr Yau also highlighted the importance of enhancing co-operation to deal with the seismic changes in the trade landscape. As technological advancement is increasingly transforming the conduct of international trade, deepening co-operation on this front is critical to promoting cross-border trade and investment. He said that to this end, Hong Kong fully supports the proposed Trade Digitalization Cooperation Framework as a guiding document for future co-operation.

In addition, Mr Yau stressed that the multilateral trading system must remain the foundation of regional integration and international trade. "We call on member economies to continue supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s reform agenda, incorporating plurilateral initiatives into the WTO framework, finding a permanent solution for the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and facilitating the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce," he said.

SCED attends APEC Ministerial Meeting held virtually Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases