Waymo to start offering driverless ride-share car services in Singapore in 2028

SINGAPORE – Driverless ride-hailing operator Waymo will start accepting bookings for trips in Singapore in its self-driving cars from 2028, marking its first entry into South-east Asia.

Announcing its plans on Sept 18 at Google’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Pasir Panjang, the unit of technology conglomerate Alphabet said its first fleet of vehicles will hit local roads in the coming months.

The initial fleet will be made up of Jaguar I-PACE sports utility vehicles, although the operator did not disclose how many cars will be deployed or its eventual target fleet size.

With Waymo’s entry, the total number of autonomous vehicles (AVs) for passenger service in Singapore is slated to increase from 16 now to several hundred in the next two years, said Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.

That will still be only a fraction of the more than 70,000 taxi and private-hire car drivers here today, he added.

In his speech, he said the US company will carry out its testing and prepare for the roll-out of the vehicles in the western part of the island, beginning with Labrador and HarbourFront.

Travellers heading to work or going on their weekend trips, as well as people going to industrial areas with fewer transport options, are among those expected to use the driverless vehicles.

AV trials by Grab and ComfortDelGro are already under way in Punggol.

In time, the two companies are expected to roll out point-to-point services in the estate, instead of sticking to fixed routes.

Siow said the scheme will progress in stages through the introduction of more pickup and drop-off points, such as Sengkang General Hospital.

He added that there are also plans to expand the deployment of driverless vehicles to areas that are farther from the city, such as Tampines North and Tengah.

Siow said driverless vehicles will complement public transport.

“The measure of success for driverless technology, and perhaps any technology, is when we stop thinking about how it works and start thinking about what it allows us to do,” he said.

Waymo’s entry into Singapore, he said, marks a new phase in the journey for driverless vehicles.

In Punggol, where small-scale trials started, about 20,000 Singaporeans have already taken rides on driverless vehicles.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Ninety-nine per cent of passengers say that they would recommend that experience to someone else,” Siow said.

As the driverless ride-hail sector grows, new jobs will be created.

More people will be needed to manage the vehicle fleets, operate vehicles remotely, maintain sophisticated systems, test new applications, analyse data and ensure that the services run safely and reliably, he added.

He said: “Some of these jobs will be open to taxi and private-hire car drivers. Our operators have launched training programmes to help drivers who are interested in these roles.

“In addition, the Government will subsidise up to 90 per cent of salaries during training because we are committed to supporting any driver who wishes to take on new opportunities.”

In her address, Waymo co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana said her firm aims to “complement Singapore’s mobility ecosystem with a safe, convenient and reliable option”.

She said the company’s vehicles have a proven track record, noting that since 2020, Waymo has provided tens of millions of rides in US cities where the service is available.

In areas where Waymo operates, the AVs are 94 per cent less likely to be involved in crashes that cause serious injuries, and there are also 84 per cent fewer crashes with cyclists that result in injuries, compared with human drivers, studies have found.

Mawakana said: “Ultimately, we believe autonomous mobility is about saving lives while enabling freedom and independence. 

“It’s about providing families peace of mind when their loved ones are on the move, and it’s about giving people precious time back.”

To prepare for the launch of commercial services in 2028, Waymo’s cars will be driven by trained AV specialists so that the systems on board can familiarise themselves with Singapore’s road and weather conditions.

The specialists will be hired locally, along with staff for other operational roles such as fleet maintenance and customer support.

Waymo said many of its customers use its rides to connect to public transport, including more than a third of those in San Francisco who are either picked up or dropped off near public transport stops.

It said: “We aim to bridge first- and last-mile transit gaps across residential and commercial hubs.”

Checks on corporate intelligence platform Sayari showed that the Singapore subsidiary was registered on May 20, with Waymo’s financial controller and deputy general counsel listed among its directors.

Waymo is currently available in 15 US cities.

Its launch in Singapore marks the second confirmed Asian market for the AV operator, following Tokyo, Japan, where it plans to start commercial services in 2027.

Waymo has been laying the groundwork for further expansion in the region, having established a subsidiary in South Korea in July.

However, a specific timeline for commercial operations there has yet to be disclosed.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, labour MP Yeo Wan Ling, who is advisor to the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, said the unions hope for the Government to provide greater clarity on the broader deployment timeline.

Doing so would allow drivers time to plan ahead, she said. Yeo, who is also an MP for Punggol GRC, said the need for point-to-point drivers will remain even as AVs are being introduced.

Yeo, who is also the executive secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union, said: “Our drivers are not asking for technology to stop.

“What matters is that they have a strong voice and real choices as the transition unfolds, with different pathways to work, earn and build livelihoods, both within and beyond the point-to-point sector.”