There is understandably skepticism among the public about autonomous vehicles, with concerns about safety, costs and job losses, among others.
However, the potential benefits should encourage Hong Kong to stay on track with the development of self-driving technologies.
The city has already tested eight autonomous vehicles as part of a HK$127 million (US$16 million) initiative called the Smart Traffic Fund. According to Lam Sai-hung, Minister of Transport and Logistics, the results so far are promising.
Lam said tests had shown that driverless technology had reached “level four” performance, or “highly automated driving” that can handle most tasks independently. He said the progress was in line with that on the mainland and in other parts of the world.
It is good to see that development is proceeding at a measured pace, with the vehicles being put through their paces at specific locations including the Science Park, the Productivity Council offices, dormitories in Tam Mi and private housing developments.
A trial run of an autonomous system operated by the city’s airport to transport commuters to and from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is also planned.
In March, a new government regulatory system was introduced to allow more comprehensive and flexible testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles on the roads.
The goal was to help the industry conduct more extensive testing, collect data for more complex road conditions, and increase public acceptance of self-driving cars.
The Automobile Association of Hong Kong, China, demands that policies, regulations and sufficient infrastructure must be in place before autonomous driving can begin.
It is encouraging that more than half of the Smart Traffic Fund has been invested in Internet of Vehicles (IoV) technologies, such as road sensing units, to ensure the safety of people and property. Smart infrastructure is also seen as a way to curb human error and misbehavior on the roads.
The city is also testing drone delivery of goods, another technology gaining traction on the mainland. While some may be impatient to see more significant steps, authorities would be wise to gradually develop the systems.
Safety and other issues must be thoroughly addressed so that the city can confidently move toward a high-tech future.
