Singapore residents in Punggol will soon be able to ride self-driving shuttle buses as the country moves a step closer to integrating driverless transport into its public mobility network.
The self-driving shuttle services, which have been on trial since September last year, will open to the public from April 1.
Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow announced the decision on Wednesday, March 4, during the debate on the Ministry of Transport's budget. He said that the trial programme has allowed the authorities to study how autonomous vehicles (AVs) can operate in Singapore's urban environment.
According to Siow, the trials have been smooth and safe so far, and the initiative has received strong support from residents in Punggol.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said that the rides will be free during an initial launch phase. From the middle of the year, passengers will be charged a fare of S$4 (US$3.10) per trip.
Members of the public interested in trying the service will need to register through operator Grab, which will release further details on the sign-up process closer to the launch date.
The autonomous shuttles currently run along two routes in Punggol. About 740 people participated in the trial phase, and feedback has been largely positive. Many riders described the journeys as smooth and comfortable, while 99% of participants said they would recommend the service to others.
Sun added that the shuttles help improve "last-mile" connectivity by linking residents to transport points and destinations that previously lacked direct public transport options. In some cases, the service has reduced travel time by up to 15 minutes.
A third route, which will be operated by ComfortDelGro's autonomous shuttles, is also making progress as the vehicles undergo familiarisation testing.
Siow said the government has plans to expand AV trials to other parts of Singapore, including Sentosa, Tuas and Mandai, if the Punggol rollout proves successful.
The authorities are also preparing to test autonomous public buses. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) last year awarded an S$8.14 million contract to pilot driverless buses on service 400 in Marina Bay and service 191 in One-North. Trials for these services are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
However, the minister noted that autonomous buses are developing more slowly than smaller driverless vehicles due to technological and commercial challenges.
Beyond autonomous transport, the government is also working to address manpower shortages in the bus sector. Siow highlighted that while 25 new bus services have been introduced and more than 60 existing services enhanced under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, there remains a shortage of bus drivers.
"There are just not enough Singaporeans who want to be bus drivers, and we have already reached the limit in terms of how many foreign bus drivers we can recruit," he said, as quoted by The Straits Times.
In order to tackle the issue, the government will work with transport operators and unions to attract more locals, including mid-career entrants, by improving salaries, working conditions and career progression opportunities.
The ministry also outlined steps to support the growth of electric vehicles (EVs). Fast-charging hubs will be rolled out across the island, with at least one hub planned in every HDB town by the end of 2027. Each hub will have at least six fast-charging points.
EV adoption in Singapore continues to rise. In January, EVs accounted for 55% of new car registrations, and more than 29,000 charging points are now available nationwide.
With autonomous transport and electric vehicles gaining momentum, the government says it will continue preparing both infrastructure and workforce capabilities to support the next phase of Singapore's transport transformation.
