Hong Kong should pump brakes on driverless technology push: industry veterans

But lawmaker says city’s infrastructure and legislative framework may be attractive to international companies in sector

Reading Time:3 minutes

A safety operator sits in an Apollo Go robotaxi in Wuhan, Hubei province. Photo: Coco Feng

Published: 9:00am, 18 May 2025Updated: 3:32pm, 21 May 2025

Hong Kong needs to take a more cautious approach to implementing driverless technology, particularly on crowded roads, industry leaders have warned.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan last week discussed the city’s efforts to step up trials of self-driving vehicles, with plans to officially introduce passenger services and commercial applications, such as ride-hailing, within one to two years.

Such services have been available in mainland China for at least six years.

Chan told a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday that testing had reached level four of highly automated driving.

The Society of Automotive Engineers has defined international standards for autonomous vehicles using a six-tier system, with zero meaning no automation and level five being full automation. The system has been widely adopted by the automotive industry and regulatory bodies.

Lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu said Hong Kong could catch up with the mainland in terms of self-driving technology, pointing to the city’s strong road infrastructure and progressive regulations as attractive to foreign companies in the field.

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