On Monday, Beijing added a new 40-square-kilometer area for testing self-driving cars with passengers, as the capital pushes for further application of the technology, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

The city opened 111 roads with a distance of about 322.46 km in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in the southeast suburb for the tests, covering almost the whole area except for sections where schools, hospitals, and office buildings are located.

It also issued a license for carrying passengers in self-driving tests to 40 vehicles from Chinese internet giant Baidu.

Rong Jun, deputy head of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, said self-driving has gradually developed from road tests to passenger-carrying tests both in China and abroad.

Beijing issued detailed regulations for the testing of autonomous vehicles earlier this month, which gave the green light to road tests for self-driving vehicles carrying passengers.