SINGAPORE: On Wednesday (September 10), Ryde announced a strategic partnership with MooVita in submitting a proposal to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for an autonomous shuttle service in Punggol.
During a working visit to Guangzhou, China, in late June, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow announced that Punggol will be the first Housing & Development Board (HDB) estate to pilot autonomous shuttles by the fourth quarter of this year. Punggol was chosen for this because it has mature travel patterns and well-developed infrastructure. Moreover, there has also been resident feedback that has helped to identify practical routes for driverless shuttles.
“The Ryde-MooVita partnership brings together Ryde’s established mobility platform with MooVita’s specialised autonomous vehicle operations knowledge. The proposed service will operate fully integrated autonomous shuttles connecting Punggol residents to MRT stations and transport hubs, accessible seamlessly through the Ryde app,” the announcement from Ryde reads.
According to the founder, chairman, and CEO of Ryde Group, Terence Zou, the company is taking a “methodical, safety-first approach that prioritises public confidence while advancing Singapore’s autonomous mobility adoption”.
As the LTA approves the proposal, Ryde will be able to validate real-world use cases of the technology within a community that is ready for it, he added.
MooVita, which has a track record of deploying shuttles in fixed-route autonomous vehicle operations, will be the technical backbone of the programme.
“This partnership represents a convergence of platform reach with specialised autonomous capabilities. Our expertise combined with Ryde’s established user base creates an optimal environment for demonstrating practical autonomous mobility benefits to Singapore residents,” said Derrick Loh, the co-founder and CEO of MooVita.
The service will start with certified safety officers on board for a year, after which it will go through a transition phase wherein supervision will be done remotely with a view to fully autonomous operations, subject to LTA approvals and performance milestones.
Ryde will be disclosing comprehensive performance metrics, including service availability, trips per vehicle, and safety records, through regular reporting periods, which sets new standards of transparency.
At the same time, Ryde is developing a comprehensive AV platform intended to connect a variety of autonomous vehicle operators, which include fixed shuttles, robotaxis, and other autonomous mobility services.
”We are building more than just a shuttle service — we are creating the foundational AV platform for Singapore’s autonomous mobility ecosystem. Our platform will connect different operators offering AV fixed shuttles, robotaxis, and other autonomous services, enabling residents to access all autonomous mobility options through a single interface,” Mr Zou explained. /TISG
Read also: ComfortDelGro launches first driverless taxi pilot
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