Roll-out of Autonomous Buses and Taxis

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the state of the roll out of autonomous buses and taxis in Singapore; (b) what are the main impediments to an expeditious implementation of plans for autonomous vehicle services; and (c) what are the plans and timelines for overcoming these challenges and rolling out such services in Singapore.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: As of January 2024, there have been a total of five autonomous bus trials and one autonomous taxi trial conducted in Singapore. One of the autonomous bus trials, which is conducted at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, is ongoing.

There has been progress in autonomous vehicles (AV) technology in recent times. However, AV developers would have to further develop specific capabilities for our local conditions, such as the perception and sensing capabilities of AVs under complex traffic environment and during inclement weather conditions.