The Transport Department has given the green light for fully driverless autonomous vehicle testing on airport island in a significant milestone.

Commissioner for Transport Winnie Tse, who also chairs the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group, described the airport island project as particularly noteworthy, citing four technical breakthroughs achieved in recent months.

They are the simultaneous operation of multiple autonomous vehicles, passenger transport involving designated personnel, expanded route coverage and increased speed for test vehicles.

The department had initially approved trials on airport island routes back in February, setting conditions such as requiring both onboard backup operators and remote monitoring from a control centre.

However, after evaluating test reports and conducting multiple on-site inspections, officials confirmed the remote operation systems now meet all required standards for safety, stability, accuracy and smoothness – clearing the way for true driverless testing.

"There will still be remote backup operators in a remote control centre monitoring the trials of individual autonomous vehicles," Tse said.

When asked about a possible expansion of trial zones, she noted the pace would largely depend on the operators' interest and business plans.

"I welcome all potential operators to approach us," Tse said.

To date, the department has issued eight pilot licences covering 65 autonomous vehicles, which are being tested at various locations across the city.

According to Tse, all trials have progressed smoothly, with vehicles achieving Level 4 autonomy – high automation – under both national and international standards.

The cumulative mileage from all test projects has now exceeded 240,000 kilometres.

Looking ahead, Tse said the broader vision is to move towards driverless, scaled-up and commercially viable autonomous operations.

Future initiatives include testing a wider range of vehicle types, such as minibuses and larger commercial vehicles.




Edited by Tony Sabine