Driverless bus services suspended at Hong Kong International Airport after crashes
Hong Kong International Airport has suspended all driverless bus services after two of its driverless cars collided in a restricted area on June 22.
The accident happened at a taxiway intersection near Terminal 1, where one bus appeared to have failed to give way to another.
No passengers were on board the vehicles at the time, and airport operations continued as normal.
The buses, which are used to transport airport staff, have been in operation since May 2023 and usually run for 12 hours a day.
The Airport Authority said the vehicles suffered only minor damage and confirmed that all driverless buses have been taken out of service while the cause of the incident is investigated.
Ringo Lee, an advisor to the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said the crash may point to faults in the vehicles' sensors or communication systems.
The Airport Authority plans to launch more autonomous vehicles by the end of the year to carry visitors between the airport’s Skycity development and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
The full system is expected to carry up to 2,000 passengers per hour once fully operational.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
