TD approves pilot licence for autonomous vehicles in cross-district trial connecting Airport Island in North Lantau with Tung Chung Town Centre and Sunny Bay
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A spokesman for the TD said that, since its launch in end-2024, the North Lantau trial has made significant progress, achieving four notable technical advancements within 2025, namely the simultaneous operation of multiple vehicles, passenger-carrying trials, expanded routes and increased vehicle speeds. The results of the trials fully demonstrated Hong Kong's steady progress in promoting autonomous driving, laying a solid foundation for more extensive applications in the future. With ongoing monitoring and taking forward the project proactively, the TD has approved the further expansion of the North Lantau trial while ensuring road safety by:
(1) extending the trial routes from Airport Island to Tung Chung Town Centre and Sunny Bay, covering up to 43.2 kilometres;
(2) increasing the number of AVs approved to operate simultaneously from 10 to 20 for the open road passenger-carrying trial on Airport Island, and from three to eight for the Tung Chung Town Centre trial; and
(3) during the Airport Island trial, in addition to having onboard backup operators, remote backup operators at the remote control centre will also operate the AVs, with a view to collecting more trial data prior to the orderly achievement of driverless operations, i.e. AVs with remote backup operators only in lieu of in-vehicle backup operators.
The updated routes and details of the pilot licence have been uploaded to the TD's website on AV trials. The TD's label for pilot AV shall be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users.
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 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. Driving and road safety remain the Government's top priorities. The Government will draw on practical experience to refine technical standards, share research findings with the industry in a timely manner, and implement initiatives to promote AVs in a prudent and orderly process.
Ends/Monday, February 23, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:15
Issued at HKT 17:15
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