Singapore to trial self-driving public bus services in Marina Bay, one-north

PROPOSALS

The authority launched a request for proposals on Monday.

The selected party will work with SBS Transit, which currently operates Services 400 and 191, to develop operational concepts and plans.

“Through this pilot, LTA aims to assess the technical feasibility of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology for public bus services, and gain insights into the operational aspects of running autonomous buses at both service and fleet levels,” said the authority.

The winning tenderer is expected to operate for at least six months to demonstrate the reliability of the autonomous buses’ self-driving and remote operations capabilities, after which a remote safety operator can take over the supervisory role.

LTA said the proposals must include bus models, fleet management and remote operation systems, as well as electric charging infrastructure.

They should also have the hardware and software needed for AV operations as well as the associated maintenance and support services.

“LTA will assess the merit of the proposals based on the maturity of the AV technology, the AV developer’s track record in local and/or overseas deployments and capability to meet the operational needs of public bus services,” said the authority.

“The comprehensiveness of the proposed supporting infrastructure such as AV fleet management and charging systems will also be considered.”

The request for proposals will close by the second quarter of 2025, with the contract expected to be awarded by the end of the year.