Punggol residents to try out driverless shuttle service from Jan 12
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During the trying out phase, the service is free of charge. It will operate on weekdays from 9.30am to 5pm, with shuttles arriving every 15 minutes.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
- Punggol residents can trial a new driverless shuttle service from January 12, 2026, on a 10km route with free rides on weekdays.
- The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is gathering user feedback before a public rollout in two to three months to refine processes.
- Three routes in Punggol are under development, with plans to deploy 100-150 self-driving vehicles in Singapore by end-2026 to ease transport manpower challenges.
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SINGAPORE – Residents in Punggol estate are being invited to try out a new driverless shuttle service from Jan 12, ahead of a public roll-out expected within the next two to three months
The 10km route connects Punggol Matilda Court and Punggol Clover with the polyclinic at Oasis Terraces via Punggol Plaza. This links the western and eastern parts of the estate, and is one of three autonomous vehicle (AV) routes that are under development. The AV shuttle services can cut travel times by up to 15 minutes per trip.
During this phase, the service is free of charge. It will operate on weekdays from 9.30am to 5pm, with shuttles arriving every 15 minutes. Participants will be invited by various channels, including through grassroots organisations. These by-invitation rides will run until the service is publicly available. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not have a maximum number of riders planned.
LTA said this is a crucial phase of the development to gather user feedback through a survey after the experience, and to allow operators to refine processes before the launch. Ambassadors will also be at the pickup and drop-off points to gather feedback from passengers.
According to LTA, the driverless shuttles have completed over 10,000km autonomously on the route without incident, and testing for the other two routes is ongoing.
On Jan 12, The Straits Times’ experience of the AV shuttle service started at Punggol Matilda Court in Sumang Lane.
The bright purple five-seater pulled up smartly at the designated pickup point, which is shared with other vehicles, including private-hire cars. Colourful posters and signage at the location make the pickup point easy to find.
A safety operator is seated behind the steering wheel, which is on the left side of the cabin, ready to intervene if needed.
A single motorised sliding door on the right side of the vehicle allows passengers to board and alight. Marshals are stationed at each pickup and drop-off point to help passengers.
For the demonstration ride, passengers were not allowed to alight at the intermediate stops.
The cabin of the AV is similar to multi-purpose vehicles used for ride-hailing services. There is space for five seated passengers. A screen in the cabin shows what the vehicle’s sensors are detecting, such as cyclists and jaywalkers, as well as the distance to the next drop-off point.
During the 40-minute ride, from around 11am, traffic was relatively light. The AV travelled at between 35kmh and 55kmh, mostly on the left lane and keeping up with other vehicles on the road.
The route has four stops. At Punggol Plaza, the AV has to perform a three-point turn to exit the building. At Oasis Terraces, it has to navigate across a relatively complex intersection before it can rejoin the main road.
When the AV encountered a slow-moving L-plate car on the left, it smoothly filtered to the faster lane to overtake the learner driver. Halfway through the ride, the AV stopped abruptly when it misjudged that a man standing at the side of the road would dash across. The vehicle has been programmed to err on the side of caution.
Otherwise, the ride was uneventful and smooth, being no different from a vehicle driven by a human driver. The safety officer did not intervene at any point during the 10km journey.
The route is one of two operated by Grab in partnership with Chinese AV company WeRide. Grab’s second route is 12km long and links the northern and western parts of Punggol.
A screen in the cabin shows what the vehicle’s sensors are detecting, such as cyclists and jaywalkers, as well as the distance to the next drop-off point.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Transport giant ComfortDelGro, in partnership with another Chinese AV company, Pony.ai, operates the third route
LTA said it is taking a phased deployment approach to ensure operations are safe and help the community get used to autonomous shuttles. Together with the operators, LTA showed the AVs to residents over 12 sessions in December.
Previously, the authorities said the first route would be open to the public by the second quarter of 2026.
Singapore is ramping up its efforts to make AV shuttle services a reality. Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow previously said the move could ease the manpower challenge for public transport
