Hong Kong authorities have opened licence applications for ride-hailing platforms under a new regulatory scheme, saying operators must have a proven track record of providing legal services in a city with a population of more than 7.5 million, while handling over 100,000 daily orders in at least two cities. Announcing the licensing terms on Friday,…
Hong Kong’s employees retraining board will partner with major tech firms to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) training programme for the working population in November, the city’s finance chief has said. In his Sunday blog, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) “AI for All” inclusive programme, announced in the February…
More ride-hailing platform operators from mainland China and Southeast Asia have approached the Hong Kong government about entering the city’s market ahead of the launch of licensed operations, the transport minister has revealed. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said on Sunday that more than 7,500 people applied for the new combined taxi…
Hong Kong drivers will be able to renew their vehicle licences within one day by year-end, down from the current processing time of up to 10 working days, under new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives aimed at streamlining transport services and traffic management. The “Easy Licence Application Approval” system, announced by the Transport Department on Thursday,…
A truck driver has fled the scene after his vehicle crashed into roadside barriers and burst into flames on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island, with debris from the collision injuring a taxi driver and passenger travelling behind. The incident occurred at around 3.15am on Saturday during an amber rainstorm warning. A 16-tonne truck carrying electronic parts…
Hong Kong has conducted its first large-scale drill at the revamped Huanggang border crossing, with authorities describing traffic flows at the facility as smooth. About 1,000 civil servants from more than 20 departments mobilised for Thursday’s drill. They were instructed to travel by public transport to the Hong Kong port area of the revamped Huanggang…
The soon-to-open revamped Huanggang Port border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen should include a public transport link to the city’s airport to leverage its proximity to a high-speed intercity rail network in mainland China, experts have said. While the government has said it will connect seven franchised bus routes and extend six minibus routes…
A top Hong Kong transport official has pledged to step up efforts to help the city’s premium taxi fleets recruit drivers, conceding that the number of vehicles on the road remains about one-third below target a year after the scheme was launched. As the five taxi fleets offering premium service marked a year of operations…
Close to 170 mainland Chinese motorists are expected to arrive in Hong Kong on Saturday under an expanded cross-border travel scheme, with hotels rolling out accommodation, dining, shopping and parking packages to attract the new visitors. The Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme was extended to cover five more cities – Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou…
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…