Hong Kong approves first autonomous shuttle trial between West Kowloon and Kowloon stations

The Hong Kong Transport Department announced on 11 August that MTR Corporation and Baidu had been given the city's first pilot licence for an autonomous shuttle service, allowing trials between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Airport Express Kowloon Station.

(Source: Transport Department)

Four autonomous vehicles will be used on the route, which covers Wui Man Road, Jordan Road and other streets.

Each vehicle will have a backup operator with more than 10 years of driving experience on board, who can take control if needed. The vehicles will also display labels specified by the Transport Department.

(Source: Transport Department)

The trial will start with road testing before moving on to non-commercial passenger services. It is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2027, with the journey taking about eight minutes.

The Transport Department said the trial will test the safety and feasibility of autonomous driving in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic and more complex road conditions, while also providing experience for integrating autonomous vehicle fleets into the public transport network.

MTR said it welcomed the project and would continue working with its partners on the trials.

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