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SINGAPORE: A three-month trial of on-demand autonomous bus services began at two locations on Monday (January 25) as part of Singapore’s efforts to make such vehicles commercially viable.
Customers will have to pay to use the buses, which will operate in Singapore’s Science Park 2 and Jurong Island, marking the first time that autonomous vehicles have operated commercially in the country.
A 7m long bus, which can carry up to 10 seated passengers, will travel a six-stop route between the Haw Par Villa MRT station on the Circle Line and The Galen building at Science Park 2 between 10 am and 5 pm .
Travelers will have to use the Zipster app, developed by SMRT spin-off mobilityX, to book their trips, which will cost 20 cents regardless of the distance.
Meanwhile, a 12-meter-long bus with a capacity for 26 seated passengers will operate a 10-stop route on Jurong Island between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, giving workers an easy access to the Oasis @ SAKRA service center.
Riders will have to use the SWATRide app developed by SWAT Mobility, which is part of the Goldbell transportation and engineering group, with trips costing S $ 1.
The buses have a maximum speed of 25km / h, with a service ambassador on board to assist travelers.
A safety driver will also be on board to take over the wheel in case of emergencies.
For Science Park 2 route, the driver will also manually operate the vehicle when exiting the Science Park area and heading towards the Haw Par Villa station.
Both tests will run until April 30.
The buses were developed by ST Engineering, with mapping technology provided by mapping technology firm GPS Lands.
ST Engineering had previously conducted a three-month trial of on-demand autonomous shuttle buses in Sentosa in 2019, transporting some 6,000 passengers along a 5.7 km route on the island.
Public transportation operators SMRT and SBS Transit will be in charge of operations for Science Park 2 and Jurong Island respectively.
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A NEW INDUSTRY FOR SINGAPORE
The deployment of the buses is the Alliance for Action (AfA) on Robotics, an industry-led coalition formed by the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) to “promote and accelerate the sustainable deployment of robotics in Singapore.”
The coalition is led by ST Engineering Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vincent Chong, along with HOPE Technik CEO Peter Ho.
“In order to obtain more data and knowledge that will be valuable for the development of future urban mobility services, the two routes differ in physical conditions, combination of travelers and partners, service and type of vehicle, as well as operating concepts. “said the AfA. about robotics in a statement.
The coalition added that the trials, which are facilitated by the Economic Development Board and the Land Transportation Authority, will allow its partners to “further develop and refine their capabilities, expertise and service delivery, thereby strengthening the AV ecosystem (autonomous vehicles ) local “. .
“The AfA not only supports Smart Nation initiatives, but will also strengthen Singapore’s reputation as a leading global operator and provider of end-to-end systems for autonomous transport for cities seeking to implement sustainable urban transport solutions. We also fulfill our passion to improve lives through robotics and autonomous technology, ”said Mr. Ho of HOPE Technik.
Mr. Chong from ST Engineering said that the long-term goal is to develop a new industry in Singapore, with solutions that can be implemented in the global market and improve the transportation system here.
AfA will assess the findings of the current trials when they are completed before “determining the next steps.”
The AfA said it has been working with unions to create relevant training and advancement pathways for bus captains who will then be able to take on jobs such as passenger experience management and oversight of the autonomous bus management system.
Union leaders and workers were concerned about their jobs and livelihoods when autonomous vehicles first appeared here, said Melvin Yong, executive secretary of the National Union of Transport Workers.
However, visits to the test sites allowed union leaders to see for themselves how the technology would help improve the sector and lead to better job prospects, he added.
“To help our transportation workers become familiar with AV, the union lobbied for experienced bus captains to be deployed as AV operators for the various tests,” Mr. Yong said.
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Speaking to the media on Monday, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the adoption of autonomous vehicles could help alleviate the labor shortage in the public bus sector, reducing dependence on the public bus sector. foreign labor.
However, drivers would still be required on board those autonomous buses in “exceptional conditions”, although he noted that the nature of the work and the skills required would have to change in light of new technology.
However, he cautioned that it may take up to a decade before autonomous buses become more common here.
“This is an exciting technology, but it will still be several years before I see it in HDB cities, offering bus services without someone actively driving,” said Mr. Ong.
Autonomous vehicles have been tested on the roads here since 2015. A trial on the use of driverless shuttles to transport passengers is expected to begin in the next few years in three areas: Punggol, Tengah and the Jurong Innovation District.
In July of last year, consultancy KPMG ranked Singapore as the country best prepared for the adoption and acceptance of autonomous vehicles in its annual autonomous vehicle readiness index.
