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SINGAPORE: Singapore will trial self-driving public bus services in Marina Bay and one-north, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday (Jan 27).
This will start with smaller buses with at least 16 seats, on Service 400 in the Marina Bay and Shenton Way area, followed by Service 191 in one-north.
These two services were selected for their shorter and simpler routes, said LTA. One-north is part of an existing autonomous vehicle (AV) testbed, where trials have been conducted since 2019.
AVs do not have drivers and are equipped with sensors that allow them to navigate through roads.
LTA will purchase six autonomous buses for a start. They will operate alongside existing buses and will be deployed from mid-2026 for an initial period of three years.
During the initial phase, the buses will have drivers onboard as safety operators.
These self-driving buses must meet operating requirements, including safe pick-up and drop-up at all stops. They will be monitored in real-time by LTA to assess their performance and compliance with regulations.
Additional safeguards include requiring all passengers to be seated and wearing seatbelts. A customer service officer may be deployed on board to assist commuters who require help.
Depending on the performance of the first six buses, LTA may consider buying up to another 14 autonomous buses, which will enable the trial to be expanded to two more public bus services.
"This phased approach allows for a thorough assessment of the feasibility and reliability of AV technology while ensuring public safety," said LTA.
PROPOSALS
The authority launched a request for proposals on Monday.
The selected party will work with SBS Transit, which currently operates Services 400 and 191, to develop operational concepts and plans.
"Through this pilot, LTA aims to assess the technical feasibility of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology for public bus services, and gain insights into the operational aspects of running autonomous buses at both service and fleet levels," said the authority.
The winning tenderer is expected to operate for at least six months to demonstrate the reliability of the autonomous buses’ self-driving and remote operations capabilities, after which a remote safety operator can take over the supervisory role.
LTA said the proposals must include bus models, fleet management and remote operation systems, as well as electric charging infrastructure.
They should also have the hardware and software needed for AV operations as well as the associated maintenance and support services.
"LTA will assess the merit of the proposals based on the maturity of the AV technology, the AV developer’s track record in local and/or overseas deployments and capability to meet the operational needs of public bus services," said the authority.
"The comprehensiveness of the proposed supporting infrastructure such as AV fleet management and charging systems will also be considered."
The request for proposals will close by the second quarter of 2025, with the contract expected to be awarded by the end of the year.
