BRIEF: Baidu secures first license to test autonomous vehicles in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s transport department on Friday issued a notice granting Baidu Apollo International Ltd., a Hong Kong-registered company of Baidu Inc. (9888.HK; BIDU.US), the first license to test autonomous vehicles in the city. The license allows Baidu to conduct trials with 10 autonomous vehicles on the city’s Lantau island.

During the initial testing phase, only one autonomous vehicle is permitted to operate on designated roads at any given time, according to the announcement. As a safety precaution, a backup operator who can take over control of the vehicle if necessary will be onboard during the tests. The license will be valid for five years through Dec. 8, 2029.

Baidu’s autonomous taxi service, Apollo Go, is currently operating in multiple cities across Mainland China, with its largest fleet of over 400 vehicles based in the Central China city of Wuhan.

By Lee Shih Ta

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