A task force developing a drone delivery service between Zhuhai and Hong Kong’s Lantau Island could conduct test runs in the near future, China Daily reports.
The task force, jointly established by the Zhuhai authorities and the Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance, is laying the groundwork for a “low altitude transport logistics corridor” via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the paper says.
Hong Kong lawmaker Elizabeth Quat Pei-fan, who heads the alliance, confirmed that the group would meet soon to discuss a drone delivery test run. She said that a drone passenger service could eventually follow cargo deliveries, if all went well.
[See more: Shenzhen is home to China’s first passenger drone demonstration centre]
The main hurdle isn’t technological, but regulatory, according to Quat. She said that the Hong Kong, mainland and Macao jurisdictions currently have different customs procedures and regulations from one another. “The biggest challenge now lies in coordinating regulations across regions,” she said.
Quat said that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge had been chosen as the route for the pilot programme due to its advanced infrastructure (including network communications and customs facilities) and relatively simple traffic conditions compared to urban areas.
At the recent National People’s Congress, delegates from Hong Kong also proposed a drone test route linking the two science parks that straddle Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Officials from the two cities have been talking about testing flights since last year.
