Hong Kong has approved its first trial scheme for fully driverless autonomous vehicles, with the technology to be tested on Airport Island without a person at the wheel as a backup for the first time. The Transport Department announced on Thursday that it had expanded the scope of a pilot licence for autonomous vehicle trial…
Hong Kong authorities will ramp up autonomous vehicle (AV) tests and make more roads available for trials as Chinese technology company Baidu prepared to transition its robotaxis to fully remote-controlled operations in the city. Baidu on Monday showcased its sixth-generation AV under its Apollo Go platform on Lantau Island, showing a seven-minute driverless route that…
When it comes to tourism, Hong Kong is recovering footfall faster than spending and officials need to realise that the two are not the same. The city’s economy grew by 5.9 per cent year on year in the first three months, its strongest quarterly performance in almost five years, according to the Census and Statistics…
A Hong Kong police officer accidentally fired a single round from her service firearm on Saturday morning, with no injuries reported. The force said the incident occurred at the Kai Tak police headquarters at about 7.10am, when the officer was loading her semi-automatic pistol in a designated loading area on Concorde Road. The officer is…
Office rents in Hong Kong’s Central district are expected to rise faster in the second quarter of the year, according to analysts, a reversal of a multi-year slump that began in the second half of 2019. The latest forecast was made by US bank Citi, which said premium offices in the city’s main business zone…
Henderson Land Development secured the first biodiversity loan in Hong Kong, receiving around HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) from HSBC and Hang Seng Bank for green initiatives at Central Yards, the company’s flagship mixed-use development on the New Central Harbourfront. This loan would provide a “scalable blueprint” for companies to achieve their sustainability goals and enhance…
Hong Kong’s West Kowloon is poised to emerge as the second-most important office sub-market after Central with the completion of new buildings that will accommodate banks and insurance companies, according to industry officials. However, there was expected to be limited demand from newcomers or via corporate expansion, with leasing activity dominated by relocations and higher…
Hong Kong police have arrested a taxi driver for dangerous driving on the first of the five-day mainland Chinese Labour Day “golden week” holiday, after he was caught reaching speeds of 160km/h (99.4mph) and completing a 42km ride in just half an hour. Police took enforcement action against the 31-year-old driver on Friday after intelligence…
Hong Kong police have arrested an employee of a systems maintenance contractor hired by the Hospital Authority on suspicion of stealing the personal data of more than 56,000 patients and 1,000 staff members. The arrest of a 30-year-old local man came just days after the authority reported on Saturday a suspected data leak involving patients…
Prime office vacancy rates in Hong Kong’s main business district dropped to single digits for the first time in 26 months, lifting overall rents in the city’s struggling office property market, according to JLL. The vacancy rate in Central for premium offices fell to 9.9 per cent in February from 10.1 per cent the previous…