Hong Kong residents will soon have the opportunity to experience self-driving cars firsthand, as Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go launches its first public trial ride event in the city.
The 14-day event will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3 in Tung Chung, offering free rides and expecting to accommodate more than 1,000 people.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is actively and systematically promoting the development of autonomous vehicles. Apollo Go, a self-driving mobility service under Baidu, was the first company in HK to obtain a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles. Its testing progress in the city has been significant, with the vehicles having covered more than 280,000 km safely in HK to date.
Each trial ride will take about 15 minutes and cover approximately 5.1 km. The route will start at Car Park No. 1 in Yat Tung Estate, proceed past the Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel, and return to the starting point. Each vehicle can carry two passengers, while the front passenger seat will not be available during the trial.
Tickets for the public trial will be distributed by district offices starting Friday (Oct. 16). Only residents who obtain physical tickets will be eligible to take part in the rides.
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