Hong Kong’s Transport Department has approved the expansion of an autonomous vehicle (AV) trial in North Lantau, giving the green light for fully driverless tests on Airport Island.

In February, the department approved AV trial routes on Airport Island, with monitoring to be conducted at a remote control center and by backup drivers inside the vehicles.

Commissioner for Transport Winnie Tse Wing-yee said at a media session on Thursday that these trials have so far met requirements regarding safety, stability, accuracy and smoothness of operation.

The department is satisfied with the AVs' safety performance to date, having examined the test reports and conducted multiple site inspections, according to Tse.

During the trials, clear labels must be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. Additional labels on a vehicle's body will indicate that a fully driverless test is in progress.

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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 launch of fully remote testing for Hong Kong's first AV pilot license trial has achieved the driverless operations. This marks an important step toward realizing the goals of driverless, scaled-up and commercialized 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,” she said in a statement.

Tse said she would continue to lead the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group to monitor the progress of various trials and provide the necessary support and coordination, promoting the safe development of AVs in a proactive and orderly manner.

The department welcomed interested organizations or enterprises to submit applications for an AV pilot license.

Upon receipt of an application, the Transport Department will consider various factors, including the operational design domain and functions of the autonomous driving system, relevant national or international standards and guidelines and road testing conditions before approval.