In addition to self-driving taxis, self-driving street cleaners, and self-driving food tray collectors, Singapore will soon add another fleet of robots to our current armada — autonomous shuttle buses.
The opening of Singapore first autonomous vehicle (AV) test center this morning saw embattled Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announcing that three towns have been chosen as a testbed for self-driving buses and shuttles: Punggol, Tengah, and the Jurong Innovation District. The robots will hit the roads in those areas from 2022 onwards.
The autonomous services — meant to complement public buses services driven by actual humans — will first debut during off-peak periods, when roads are less crowded. The AV test center itself was launched to help developers trial their tech with advanced simulators that’ll help provide traffic scenarios in dense urban settings.
The Land Transport Authority is also exploring using these robot shuttles for express transit links to connect commuters in between MRT lines.
“AV technology can greatly enhance the accessibility and connectivity of our public transport system, particularly for the elderly, families with young children, and the less mobile,” said Khaw.
“Through the pilot deployment, we can gain insights into how we can design infrastructure, organize services and formulate regulations to better facilitate the safe use of AVs in Singapore.”
But no matter what, consistently reliable train services that don’t break down will always trump fancy robot vehicles.