Professor Christine Huang Yi-hui, Head and Chair Professor in the Department of Media and Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), and her research team conducted surveys in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Wuhan in 2022 and 2024 to gauge attitudes towards autonomous vehicles. The surveys revealed that nearly half of Hong Kong residents believe autonomous vehicle technology is safe and would be willing to use autonomous vehicles in the future. The surveys identified five key factors influencing public attitudes towards autonomous vehicle technology: efficiency, usability, safety, responsibility planning and employment concerns.

The CityUHK team conducted surveys on attitudes towards autonomous vehicles with 2,635 residents of Hong Kong and Shenzhen in October 2022, and with 1,163 residents of Wuhan in September 2024. The 2022 surveys in Hong Kong and Shenzhen found that nearly half the Hong Kong respondents believed that autonomous vehicle technology was safe (48.8%) and would be willing to use autonomous vehicles in the future (49.2%). By comparison, over 90% of Shenzhen respondents believed that autonomous vehicle technology was safe (93.5%) and would be willing to use it (93.5%).

The surveys also found that Hong Kong residents placed greater importance on the driving ability of autonomous vehicles in complex terrain and traffic conditions (25.0%) and low failure rates (22.75%). About a quarter of the respondents considered these two characteristics to be the most important features of autonomous vehicles.

The research team concluded that the survey results provided important insights for Hong Kong's 5G autonomous light bus project, helping to address potential challenges, promote the widespread application of the technology, and increase public acceptance of smart transportation technology, while effectively managing risks.

In recent years, Hong Kong has actively introduced innovative technologies to promote “Smart Mobility” and improve transportation efficiency. In August this year, the 5G autonomous shuttle light bus project in Fairview Park, Yuen Long, began trial operations to allow the residents to try it out. The project plans to add more routes by the end of 2024 to 2025. Globally, autonomous vehicle technology is rapidly developing, including Wuhan's “Apollo Go” robotaxis project and Tesla's recently launched Cybercab robotaxis. The research team believes that acceptance of autonomous vehicle technology by Hong Kong residents will be an important reference for policy-making and technology promotion.

The 2024 survey in Wuhan found that over 90% of respondents believed that autonomous taxis were efficient (92.3%) and easy to use (91.9%) and could quickly meet travel needs. Nearly 80% of respondents were satisfied with the safety of autonomous taxis (79.8%) and would feel safe and secure when using them. The survey also revealed the respondents' opinions on the responsibility planning for autonomous taxis. Nearly 90% (86.5%) of respondents believed that autonomous taxi companies should be responsible for accidents caused by autonomous taxis and should compensate passengers for losses caused by technical failures. Over 90% (94.1%) of the respondents believed that the government should establish clear regulations to ensure passenger safety and regulate the use of the technology. Additionally, over 90% (91.7%) of respondents believed that the government should design dedicated lanes for autonomous vehicles and establish comprehensive traffic rules to reduce the risk of accidents.

The research team concluded that the survey results from Wuhan provided insights for enhancing the acceptance of smart transportation technology among Hong Kong residents. Professor Huang said, "The survey findings reflect the acceptance of autonomous taxis by residents in the three cities, particularly in terms of efficiency, safety and usability. This indicates that when choosing transportation methods, residents tend to prefer new technologies that enhance efficiency and are easy to operate, which is very helpful for future policymaking."

She further emphasised, “As technology becomes increasingly integrated into various aspects of society, trust in technology has become a critical issue that modern society must address. Public acceptance of autonomous vehicle technology depends not only on its performance and convenience but also on trust in its safety and mechanisms for sharing responsibility. Therefore, enhancing communication with the public to build trust in both the technology and its regulatory frameworks is a crucial step in promoting the adoption of smart transportation technologies. This will ensure that citizens can fully enjoy the benefits of smart transportation in a safe and secure environment.”

The research team includes Professor Li Wen Jung, Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy); Professor Wang Jianping, Dean of the College of Computing; Professor Jennifer Lin Fen, Associate Vice-President (Global Strategy) and Associate Professor of the Department of Media and Communication; Professor Lauren Lin Yu-Hsin, Associate Professor of the School of Law, and PhD students from the Department of Media and Communication: Zhang Leyi, Cai Qinxian, Liu Haodong, Liu Ruoheng, Chang Bo, Gao Shuang and Lyu Xiangxin.

Media enquiries: Him Chak, Communications and Institutional Research Office, CityUHK (Tel: 3442 6807 or 6709 8960)

9 Dec 2024