Hong Kong drivers to renew vehicle licences in 1 day by year-end under AI system

Hong Kong drivers will be able to renew their vehicle licences within a single day by the end of the year, according to new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives announced by the Transport Department. The “Easy Licence Application Approval” system, set to be launched by year-end, leverages large language models to automatically recognize, cross-check, and verify documents submitted with online applications.

It is projected that over 90% of online vehicle licence renewals will be automatically processed by the AI system, significantly reducing processing times from up to 10 working days to just one day. Furthermore, the system will handle applications under the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles schemes, aiming for an automatic approval rate of more than 50% and a 20% reduction in manual processing time.

Deputy Commissioner for Transport Candy Kwok Wai-ying emphasized the AI's continuous learning capabilities and its ability to cross-reference different documents, which would notably assist in address verification and approvals. The AI Efficacy Enhancement Team, established after the 2025 Policy Address, oversees these projects under the Transport Strategy Blueprint.

With 63% of international driving permit applications and 51% of full driving licence renewals already submitted online, the department has implemented AI-enabled anti-bot solutions and dynamic identification technology to manage online bookings, reducing the maximum waiting time from up to two hours to 45 minutes. Additionally, the department plans to roll out the real-time adaptive traffic signal system (RTATSS) at approximately 50 junctions across the city by the second half of 2026.

By utilizing sensors to detect real-time vehicular and pedestrian flows, the AI-powered system will calculate optimal signal timings to balance the needs of various road users. A Smart Traffic Signals pilot, employing RTATSS sensors, will commence in the first quarter of 2027 at the Gloucester Road and Great George Street junction near Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, aiming to decrease maximum pedestrian waiting times by 15 to 20 seconds.