The Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (AV Regulation) and the Road Traffic (Amendment) (Autonomous Vehicles) Ordinance 2023 (Commencement) Notice (Commencement Notice) were gazetted today (December 8).

     The AV Regulation, which was made under the Road Traffic (Amendment) (Autonomous Vehicles) Ordinance 2023 (AV Ordinance), sets out a specific statutory and regulatory regime to facilitate the wider trial and use of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Hong Kong. The AV Regulation and the Commencement Notice will be tabled before the Legislative Council (LegCo) on December 13 for negative vetting and the new regulatory regime for AVs will come into effect on March 1, 2024.

     A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "AV technology has been rapidly developing in recent years and is becoming increasingly popular across the globe. The AV Regulation establishes a clear regulatory framework for conducting AV trials in Hong Kong in the form of a pilot scheme. On the premise of ensuring road safety, it will facilitate the industry in testing and applying AV technology with more flexibility, thereby promoting smart mobility."

     "Any person or institution who intends to test and use AVs on the roads in Hong Kong must apply to the Commissioner for Transport for a pilot licence and an AV certificate in accordance with the new legislation, pass the vehicle examination and testing arranged by the Transport Department (TD), have the AVs registered and licensed pursuant to the existing registration and licensing regime for motor vehicles and comply with the relevant requirements of the AV Regulation in respect of insurance coverage, maintenance, reporting and investigation of incidents or accidents, etc," the spokesman added.

     The TD will issue a Code of Practice (CoP) to applicants and holders of pilot licences and AV certificates, setting out detailed technical and operational requirements for vehicle design and construction, network security, personnel training and record-keeping, etc in relation to the AV, and update the CoP as necessary with a view to keeping abreast of the evolving AV technology and the latest international standards while flexibly coping with the development of the industry with proper risk control.

     The Road Traffic (Amendment) (Autonomous Vehicles) Bill 2022 that the Government introduced into the LegCo was passed by the LegCo in May this year, and became the AV Ordinance. The regulatory details and the commencement date are now provided in the AV Regulation and the Commencement Notice respectively.

     The Intellectual Property Department (IPD) today (December 8) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to strengthen co-operation in the field of intellectual property (IP).

     The MOU was signed by the Director of Intellectual Property, Mr David Wong, and the Director General of the IPOPHL, Mr Rowel Barba, on the sidelines of the Business of Intellectual Property Asia (BIP Asia) Forum held in Hong Kong. It aims to establish a framework to facilitate co-operation between Hong Kong and the Philippines in the areas of IP awareness, creation, protection, utilisation, management, trading and commercialisation.

     Under the MOU, Hong Kong and the Philippines will pursue further co-operation in various areas of IP by exchanging information and sharing experience; fostering high-level dialogues on policy developments; strengthening co-operation in IP training; sharing best practices in providing quality and efficient services to stakeholders; and promoting co-operation among the two places and the relevant IP practitioners, industries, institutions and organisations.

     "The National 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong's development into a regional IP trading centre. Both Hong Kong and the Philippines recognise the value of IP rights in driving economic growth. The MOU marks an important milestone in the co-operation between the IP offices of the two economies in promoting IP protection and commercialisation in the region. The IPD will continue its engagement with IP offices and authorities outside Hong Kong to tell the good stories of IP in Hong Kong," Mr Wong said.

     The Consul-General of the Philippines in Hong Kong, Mr Raly Tejada, also attended the signing ceremony today.

     The BIP Asia Forum is an annual IP flagship event in the region organised by the Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Its 13th edition, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on December 7 and 8 under the theme "IP and Innovation: Steering New Economic Growth", features over 90 renowned speakers. They include senior officials from the China National Intellectual Property Administration, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and IP offices of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    

     The Highways Department (HyD) announced today (December 8) that in response to the request from interested tenderers, the tender period for the contract for Dualling of Hiram's Highway from Marina Cove to Sai Kung Town (Contract No. HY/2023/12) has been extended to noon on January 5, 2024.
     
     The HyD invited tenders for the contract on September 29. The tender period was originally scheduled to expire at noon on December 22.
     
     The extension of the tender period was gazetted today.
     
     The HyD has appointed WSP (Asia) Limited (WSP) as the consultant to supervise the design and construction works. For enquiries, please contact WSP at 2579 8899.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (December 8) reminded the public that to facilitate the holding of a Christmas market at Stanley Plaza on December 9, 10, 16, 17 and 23 to 26, the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in the area:
      
*The section of Stanley New Street between Stanley Village Road and Stanley Market Road will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic from 11am to 6pm daily on the above dates (except for vehicles of local residents, police, emergency services and vehicles with permits).
      
*Pedestrian precincts will be implemented on Stanley Market Road and the section of Stanley New Street between Stanley Market Road and Stanley Main Street on the following dates and hours:
 

*The services of Citybus route Nos. 63, 65 and 260, and green minibus route Nos. 40, 40X and 52 will be strengthened subject to passenger demand during the event.

     The TD anticipates the traffic in the vicinity of Stanley and its approach roads will be busy during the holding of the event. Members of the public should use public transport services as far as possible, or consider using the free shuttle bus and ferry services provided by the event organiser. Due to the limited number of parking spaces at Stanley Plaza, motorists who have not reserved parking spaces with the event organiser should avoid driving to the vicinity. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience when traffic is congested and follow the instructions of the Police. 

     For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements, members of the public can browse the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) or mobile application "HKeMobility". They should also pay attention to the latest traffic news through the media. 
 

     The Town Planning Board (TPB) today (December 8) promulgated three sets of revised Guidelines (TPB PG-No. 5A, TPB PG-No. 18B and TPB PG-No. 36C) and cancelled one set of Guidelines (TPB PG-No. 2B) with immediate effect.

     The revised TPB PG-No. 36C for Class A and Class B Amendments to Approved Development Proposals set out the Class A and Class B amendments, the procedures for application for amendments to the approved development proposals under section 16A of the Town Planning Ordinance and the assessment criteria. Taking into account the past experience in administering TPB PG-No. 36B, feedback from stakeholders and the government-wide policy initiative to streamline the development process, the TPB PG-No. 36B including the Schedule of Class A and Class B amendments has been reviewed to allow greater flexibility and streamlined procedures for amendments to approved development proposals at the detailed design stage. 

     In relation to the above, a corresponding amendment has been incorporated to the revised TPB PG-No. 18B for Submission of Master Layout Plan under Section 4A(2) of the Town Planning Ordinance to update the reference to the revised TPB PG-No. 36C therein.
 
     The revised TPB PG-No. 5A for Application for Office Development in Residential (Group A) Zone under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance is mainly to reflect the latest planning circumstances and fine tune the planning criteria.

     The TPB PG-No. 2B for Interim Planning Control on Service Apartment is cancelled as the term 'Service Apartment' has been deleted from the Notes of all Outline Zoning Plans.
 
     The revised Guidelines (No. TPB PG-No. 5A, TPB PG-No. 18B and TPB PG-No. 36C) are now available at the Secretariat of the TPB at 15/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong (Tel: 2231 4810 or 2231 4835) and the TPB's website (www.tpb.gov.hk). Any enquiries on the Guidelines may be addressed to the Secretariat of the TPB at the above address or by email (tpbpd@pland.gov.hk).