Beijing's Municipal Commission of Transport on Monday gave the green light for road tests for self-driving cars. 

According to the commission, the Chinese capital has businesses across the whole industrial chain of automated driving, and will give greater support to the development and commercialization of autonomous vehicles.

The regulation allows only entities registered in China to apply for road test. In addition, the vehicle should be able to switch between self-driving and conventional modes. As for test run, drivers must have over three years of driving experience.

In July, Baidu CEO Li Yanhong drove the company's autonomous vehicle on Beijing's road, causing controversy as no rules exist regarding such tests. It looks like Li doesn't have to worry anymore about potential fines for driving unmanned vehicles. Now, self-driving cars need to pass a technical assessment at a training ground before being allowed on open roads. 

Boston Consulting Group estimates that China will become the world's largest self-driving vehicle market in the next 15 years. By 2035, it's forecast that the number of such vehicles will hit 12 million – with more than a quarter sold in China. 

The market prospects are massive. And change is around every corner. 

Earlier this month, four self-driving buses began trial operation in southern China's Shenzhen. The smart buses are equipped with sensors, cameras, and GPS antennas. All of these components will help the buses avoid hitting pedestrians, vehicles, barriers, as well as safely change lanes and stop at designated sites. Each bus is required to have a driver who can manually brake or change the vehicle from self-driving to manual mode in case of emergency. 

"From trial to operation, supporting policies are needed, including intelligent roads, further application and promotion of the 5G technique," said Yu Gang, chairman of Shenzhen Bus Group. "These things equal fewer delays in data transmission." 

Currently, at least 10 countries have rolled out policies on self-driving vehicles. It's just the first step for China, but it seems that the future has indeed arrived.