In the recent policy address, the establishment of a "Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy" was proposed to strategize and plan cross-departmental actions for developing Hong Kong's "low-altitude economy" and to explore infrastructure deployment.

The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Lam Sai-hung, who will serve as the deputy leader of this task force, revealed plans to collaborate with industry and partner institutions to initiate pilot projects at the beginning of next year.

Lam anticipates that the initial phase of the pilot projects will primarily focus on drone cargo delivery, with other potential applications including emergency response, surveying, inspection, maintenance, and aerial monitoring. Concurrently, amendments to relevant legislation will be pursued, to pass these modifications within the current legislative session to expand further use of drones.

Apart from economic development, drone applications can also play a role in maintaining security. In a radio interview yesterday (Oct. 26), the Commissioner of Police, Siu Chak-yee, indicated that the total number of crimes reported in the first three quarters of this year reached 70,015, marking a 4.8% increase compared to the same period last year, mainly due to rises in fraud, theft, and extortion cases.

Specifically, burglary cases in the first quarter increased by over 50%, with losses rising by more than 30%, primarily involving residential burglaries, especially in village houses.

Over the past six months, the police have intensified patrols around villages and detached houses, utilized drones and helicopter flights for aerial surveillance, and enhanced communication with villagers. These measures have significantly improved the situation, with burglary figures in the first nine months showing a slight decrease of 5 cases compared to last year, and a 48% reduction in financial losses.

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