Didi to Apply for Hong Kong Driverless Vehicle Tests This Year
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing will apply to test autonomous vehicles in a Hong Kong urban area this year, with initial trials planned for Tseung Kwan O. The announcement followed a visit to Didi's Beijing headquarters last Wednesday by Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan and a group of lawmakers. The company is already recruiting autonomous vehicle test drivers at salaries of HK$21,000 to HK$22,000 (US$2,678 to US$2,805) per month.
Key Points
- Gary Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Transport Department's working group on autonomous vehicles, said on Monday the company would apply for an autonomous vehicle pilot licence this year
- Initial trials will be conducted in Tseung Kwan O, with the industrial estate identified as a suitable starting location due to wider roads, lower traffic volume, and simpler road environment
- Didi is recruiting autonomous vehicle test drivers for Tseung Kwan O at HK$21,000 to HK$22,000 monthly; candidates must hold a Hong Kong driving licence for at least five years with no traffic convictions in the past five years and have mainland Chinese driving experience
- The transport secretary led a Legislative Council delegation to Didi's Beijing headquarters from September 2 to 5
- Testing could expand to new development areas such as So Kwun Wat in Tuen Mun if a viable business model emerges
Why It Matters
Commercialising autonomous ride-hailing services would require only technical amendments to existing ride-hailing licence frameworks, with the taxi industry already showing strong interest in integrating the technology. This marks a significant step toward autonomous vehicles becoming common across Hong Kong within the next few years.
Commercialising autonomous ride-hailing services would require only technical amendments to existing ride-hailing licence frameworks, with the taxi industry already showing strong interest in integrating the technology. This marks a significant step toward autonomous vehicles becoming common across Hong Kong within the next few years.