BEIJING - Three companies on Tuesday were given permits to run their unmanned delivery vehicles on designated open roads in Beijing, the first time the Chinese capital will allow such vehicles.

The e-commerce giant JD.com, the online service company Meituan, and the autonomous driving vehicle producer Neolix received ID numbers for these vehicles at the eighth international congress of intelligent connected vehicles technology in Beijing.

The vehicles will drive at the Beijing high-level autonomous driving demonstration area, which covers 60 square km at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as E-Town, in Daxing district.

Kong Lei, deputy director of E-Town, said that the unmanned delivery vehicle operators will conduct express deliveries, catering, and retail business in the demonstration area.

In April, Beijing innovated its policy on intelligent connected vehicles in the demonstration area, allowing new auto products, technologies, and modes to be tested and operated.