Right here’s what you may count on from Punggol’s driverless shuttles
The primary self-driving shuttle route in Punggol is ready to open to the general public in two to a few months, introduced Senior Minister of State for Transport Solar Xueling in a Fb publish on Jan 7. The opening comes sooner than the beforehand anticipated second quarter of 2026.
A 10km route, it is going to join residents of Matilda Courtroom and Punggol Clover with the polyclinic at Oasis Terraces through Punggol Plaza. Every spherical journey is anticipated to take round 35 minutes.
Journey-hailing agency Seize will run the service in collaboration with Guangzhou-based autonomous car firm, WeRide, via WeRide’s Ai.R (Autonomously Clever Rides) shuttles.
This would be the first of three driverless shuttle routes that can be rolled out in Punggol.
These routes will serve components of Punggol which might be tougher to succeed in by present public transport choices, and will save residents as much as quarter-hour of journey time.
5- and eight-seater automobiles, completed in vivid purple with an amber roof beacon, will function alongside the three routes.
No accidents up to now
Within the Fb publish, Solar stated she hosted union leaders on trial rides of the autonomous shuttle in Punggol. They included representatives from the Nationwide Trades Union Congress and its affiliated associations, representing private-hire automotive drivers and taxi drivers.
The shuttles on the primary route have accomplished mapping and familiarisation, and have “clocked greater than 10,000km safely with out incident,” Solar stated.
Solar shared that beginning this month, the Ministry of Transport can be inviting different stakeholders to check out the rides, together with key grassroots leaders and company companions.
“The autonomous shuttles complement our transport system and assist improve first-mile and last-mile connectivity for commuters,” she added.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) stated on Jan 7 that these upcoming neighborhood rides will assist it collect suggestions to enhance the commuting expertise. This part is a step earlier than business operations start.
Apps may even be rolled out by shuttle operators to permit commuters to test experience availability, Solar stated.
For the primary route, no pre-booking can be wanted. The service is scheduled to run weekdays from 9:30AM to 5PM, and passengers can test shuttle schedules and monitor automobiles in actual time on the Seize app.
A security operator can be on board every car always to take management if obligatory, and passengers can be insured within the occasion of an accident.
Punggol pilot routes & enlargement plans for autonomous shuttles
Solar stated that Punggol was chosen because the pilot space attributable to its compact format and numerous inhabitants. The primary autonomous car take a look at occurred there in mid-Oct 2025.
LTA had beforehand granted approval to Seize and WeRide to check 11 shuttles on two routes.
Seize will function two out of the three deliberate routes in Punggol, with the second additionally being 12km lengthy, and can join Punggol West and Punggol North.
The third can be run by transport operator ComfortDelGro, utilizing automobiles provided by Chinese language autonomous driving agency Pony.ai. Additionally 12km lengthy, it is going to join Punggol East and Punggol North, with stops on the bus interchange and LRT station.
Each Seize and ComfortDelGro stated beforehand that they goal to have a shuttle arrive each quarter-hour.
In Sept 2025, Performing Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said that Singapore plans to deploy 100 to 150 self-driving automobiles by the top of 2026, as a part of a broader effort to increase autonomous transport throughout the island over the subsequent 5 years.
Siow beforehand stated that autonomous automobiles might ease public transport’s manpower problem. Singapore faces a bus driver scarcity attributable to an ageing workforce and fewer younger Singaporeans becoming a member of the trade.
Nevertheless, for present drivers involved about job safety, Solar added that the Ministry of Transport will work carefully with union leaders to deal with their issues and discover job alternatives.
- Learn different articles we’ve written on Singaporean companies right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Ministry of Transport
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