Ngee Ann Poly shuttle bus in accident with car in Clementi
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The accident happened at the junction of Clementi Avenue 4 and Clementi Avenue 5 on Jan 20.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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SINGAPORE - A bus marketed as “autonomous” was involved in an accident on Jan 20 in Clementi, although there was a driver behind the wheel at the time of the collision.
Launched in January 2023, the autonomous vehicle campus shuttle service connects Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s campus locations to King Albert Park and Clementi MRT stations, operating autonomously on campus and manually on public roads.
The Clementi MRT station route was added from January 2025, when the shuttle service expanded to three buses, up from one previously, and also increased the frequency of buses. The bus that was involved in the accident was plying the new route.
In response to queries on Jan 20, a spokesperson for Ngee Ann Polytechnic confirmed that the bus was under manual operation by a safety operator and not driven autonomously at the time of the accident.
The spokesperson added that the safety operator and one passenger on board at that time were unhurt, and also said: “The safety of our students, staff and road users is our utmost priority, and we will work with the relevant authorities and partners investigating the incident.”
The buses are owned by local autonomous vehicle start-up MooVita, which appointed ComfortDelGro to operate the shuttle service at the polytechnic.
A spokesperson for ComfortDelGro on Jan 20 said the company was also investigating the incident.
In a photo of the aftermath of the accident published by Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, the bus can be seen stationary in the middle of a traffic junction, along with a white car.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to the accident at the junction of Clementi Avenue 4 and Clementi Avenue 5 at about 9.05am.
SCDF assessed a person for minor injuries and the person declined to be taken to the hospital.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic said in an earlier statement to The Straits Times on Jan 14 that since its launch in January 2023, the autonomous shuttle service had “performed well and has maintained an excellent safety record”.
According to MooVita’s website, the autonomous 13-seater vehicle is called the MooBus.
The electric vehicle is self-driving, capped at 20kmh, for much of the 3km route on campus. A safety operator, however, is required on board by the Land Transport Authority.
LTA said the bus was being driven manually in accordance with the authority’s conditions.
• Sherlyn Sim is a journalist at The Straits Times who covers breaking news and current events.
