LTA to pilot driverless minibuses on certain shorter routes

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced plans to trial driverless minibuses in Marina Bay, Shenton Way, and one-north starting from mid-next year. This initiative aims to assess the feasibility of autonomous public buses and understand their operational requirements.

The LTA has invited proposals from industry players to develop a pilot program, which will initially involve smaller buses with a minimum seating capacity of 16. These driverless minibuses will operate on bus route 400, serving Marina Bay and Shenton Way, as well as route 191 in one-north. Authorities selected these routes due to their shorter and less complex nature, with one north also serving as a designated testing ground for autonomous vehicles.

To ensure safe implementation, the successful bidder will collaborate with SBS Transit to devise an operational framework. In the initial phase, a bus captain will be present on board to oversee safety. The trial will require the buses to meet operational standards, such as allowing passengers to board and alight safely at designated stops. The selected operator must also maintain a service period of at least six months to demonstrate reliability before transitioning to remote supervision by a safety operator.

The LTA has committed to real-time monitoring of the driverless buses to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Additional safety measures may include mandatory seat belt use for all passengers and the potential deployment of a customer service officer on board to assist riders.

As part of the initiative, the authorities will procure six driverless buses, which will be deployed for an initial three-year trial beginning in mid-2025. Depending on their performance, the fleet could expand by up to 14 additional buses, allowing two more routes to be incorporated into the program.