📋 Tender Overview
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Siuhung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics Ms Mable Chan in the Legislative Council today April 29
Question
In the 2025 Policy Address the Chief Executive proposed promoting autonomous vehicles AVs to accelerate the largescale development of driverless autonomous driving in Hong Kong expediting its transition to commercial operations and facilitating the industrys expansion to overseas particularly righthanddrive markets using Hong Kong as the platform The Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Group newly set up by the Government is dedicated to reviewing project progress and establishing a longterm development roadmap for AVs to cover the implementation of commercial autonomous driving operation and crossdistrict operation and promotion of crossboundary operation In this connection will the Government inform this Council
1 of the strategies for achieving the above objectives and the latest implementation timetable
2 as the authorities stated at the meeting of the Panel on Transport on February 11 2026 that regarding the promotion of AVs the authorities would actively introduce more scenarios in the Northern Metropolis for trials and applications whether further consideration will be given to setting an AV pilot zone in the Northern Metropolis as well as providing the requisite vehicletoeverything and infrastructural facilities for autonomous driving technology if so of the details if not the reasons for that
3 whether it will draw on the experience of the Mainland and other places around the world and consider establishing an autonomous driving industry fund for strengthening research and development capabilities and innovation drive so as to support the development of the autonomous driving industry if so of the details if not the reasons for that
4 given that in response to a question raised by a Member of this Council on May 14 2025 the authorities stated that the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the relevant departments would collaborate with the Insurance Authority and the relevant sectors to make advance planning and discuss the insurance arrangements for AVs with the sectors whether the authorities will by drawing reference from the experience of the Mainland and other places around the world explore insurance arrangements for the future commercial operation of AVs if so of the details if not the reasons for that
5 whether it will further steer the industry to transform Hong Kongs testing data into products or standards that can be launched and go global thereby building Hong Kong into a hub for the going global of autonomous driving data technology and standards and actively align with international standards to enhance influence in the global market if so of the details if not the reasons for that and
6 whether it will formulate guidelines and specifications on data security and personal information security pertaining to autonomous driving technology such as establishing a tiered data monitoring system a sensitive data protection mechanism and a personal privacy protection mechanism if so of the details if not the reasons for that
Reply
President
The Government has been promoting the development of autonomous vehicles AVs in Hong Kong in an active and orderly manner through a multipronged approach by providing policy support regulatory backing and financial subsidy My reply to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Siuhung is as follows
1 The new regulatory framework for AVs came into effect in March 2024 The Transport Department TD concurrently published the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles the Code setting out the detailed technical safety and operational requirements to facilitate the trial and pilot use of AVs
To propel AV development to a higher level in accordance with the 2025 Policy Address and the Transport Strategy Blueprint and to introduce and drive the industry to commence AV trial and use in various communities at full speed with a view to moving towards largescale deployment of driverless AVs for commercial operation the Commissioner for Transport has established the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group the Working Group The Working Group will advance related initiatives in collaboration with relevant departments and industry stakeholders including reviewing the progress of individual AV projects and associated demand and providing steer on the trial locations and vehicle types as well as the licensing arrangements required to support the commercial development of AVs It will also explore appropriate regulatory arrangements to allow AVs to provide a certain degree of commercial services in specific areas on an individual pilot basis with a view to accelerating the smooth transition of autonomous driving technology from the research and testing phase to actual commercial operation as well as allowing more members of the public to access and experience the service The Working Group held its first meeting in March 2026 to discuss the progress of trial projects with AV pilot licences explore ways to enhance the Code and strengthen the collaboration with the industry and operators of the trial projects to promote autonomous driving in the community including organising events such as AV rides for residents The Working Group will continue to convene meetings to take forward the work
In respect of crossdistrict applications we will continue to study together with the industry ways to progressively increase the number of trials and gradually expand crossdistrict trials and expand the application network of AVs in an orderly manner including districtwide trials For instance in February 2026 the AV trial in North Lantau was extended from the existing airport route in North Lantau to Tung Chung and Sunny Bay while the AV trial in the vicinity of Kai Tak in East Kowloon spanned Kowloon City and Kwun Tong Dist
