First self-driving shuttle vehicles in Punggol to start serving public within three months

[SINGAPORE] The first self-driving shuttle route in Punggol will open to the public in two to three months, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling on Jan 7.

The 10 km route will connect residents of Matilda Court and Punggol Clover with the polyclinic at Oasis Terraces via Punggol Plaza. A round trip will take 35 minutes to complete.

Ride-hailing firm Grab will operate the service in partnership with WeRide, a Guangzhou-based autonomous vehicle company.

It is the first of three driverless shuttle routes that will be rolled out in Punggol.

These routes cover parts of Punggol that are harder to reach by current public transport options, and could shave up to 15 minutes of travel time for residents.

The authorities previously said that the first route was set to open to the public by the second quarter of 2026.

Five- and eight-seater vehicles in bright purple livery with an amber beacon on the roof will be used to ply the three routes.

In a Facebook post on Jan 7, Sun said she hosted union leaders on trial rides of the autonomous shuttle in Punggol.

They included representatives from the National Trades Union Congress and its affiliated associations representing private-hire car drivers and taxi drivers.

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The shuttles on the first route have completed mapping and familiarisation, and have clocked more than 10,000km safely without incident, Sun’s post said.

“Starting this month, we will be inviting other stakeholders to try out the rides. These include key grassroots leaders and agency partners,” she said.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Jan 7 that these community rides will help it gather feedback to improve the commuting experience. This phase is a step before commercial operations begin.

Apps will also be rolled out by shuttle operators to allow commuters to check ride availability, said Sun.

For the first route, no pre-booking will be needed.

The Straits Times previously reported that the service will run from 9.30 am to 5 pm on weekdays, with passengers able to view shuttle schedules and track vehicles in real time on the Grab app.

As a precaution, a safety operator will be on board each vehicle at all times to take over control if needed. Passengers will also be covered by insurance in case of an accident.

Sun, who is also an MP for Punggol GRC, said the autonomous shuttles will complement Singapore’s transport system by improving first- and last-mile connectivity. She had earlier said Punggol was chosen as the pilot area due to its compact layout and diverse population.

Sun said the Transport Ministry will work with union leaders on job opportunities and concerns drivers may have about their jobs.

Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow previously said that autonomous vehicles could ease public transport’s manpower challenge.

Singapore faces a bus driver shortage due to an ageing workforce and fewer young Singaporeans joining the industry.

The first autonomous vehicle test in Punggol was conducted in mid-October 2025.

LTA had previously granted approval to Grab and WeRide to test 11 shuttles on two routes.

Grab will operate two of the three planned routes in Punggol.

The second Grab-run route, which is 12km long, will connect Punggol West and Punggol North, with stops at Punggol Coast Mall, which has a bus interchange, and One Punggol, where the Sam Kee LRT station is located.

The third will be operated by transport operator ComfortDelGro, using vehicles supplied by Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai.

This route, also 12 km long, connects Punggol East and Punggol North, with stops at the bus interchange and LRT station.

Both Grab and ComfortDelGro said previously that they aim to have a shuttle arrive every 15 minutes.

In September 2025, Siow said Singapore plans to deploy between 100 and 150 self-driving vehicles by the end of 2026, as part of a broader push to roll out autonomous transport across the island over the next five years. THE STRAITS TIMES