Automous bus testing in Singapore

Singapore has unleashed a self-driving robot bus and tentatively stated to test a fleet of shuttles inits coastal district of Sentosa this week.

Tan Nai Kwan, chief robotics engineer at ST Engineering systems said safety was paramount duromg the testing phase and the company is taking no chances.

On the first day of the trial  on Monday August 26, 2019, there were almost as many bus stewards as passengers making sure seatbelts were tightly fastened as the bus trundled through the quiet roads while a driver hovered above the self-rotating steering wheel at all times, ready to take back complete control.

Singapore’s testing of the technology is being closely watched as tech firms and automakers race to build self-drive cars and develop new business plans for what is expected to be a long-term makeover of personal public transport.

Singapore is ranked no 2 in globally in an index that assesses countries openness and preparedness for autonomous vehicles in a recent KPMG report.