SINGAPORE – Even as Singapore scales up its use of autonomous vehicles to meet the country’s growing transportation needs, the Republic will help taxi and private-hire drivers affected by the self-driving shift to retrain and move into new jobs, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“That is how we manage the impact of technological change on jobs,” said PM Wong on Aug 23 at the National Day Rally.
“Through every major technological shift, we have embraced change on our own terms, built new capabilities and emerged stronger. We have done it before. And we will do it again,” he said at the event held at the Institute of Technical Education’s Ang Mo Kio headquarters.
He was outlining Singapore’s approach to new technologies – seizing the opportunities they present and managing the disruptions that they bring. And should there be risks to Singaporeans and society, the Government will put safeguards in place.
Singapore will not hold back on new technologies just because they are disruptive, he said. At the same time, the country will not leave affected workers to fend for themselves.
“We support our workers through the transition. We will ensure that every worker shares in the fruits of Singapore’s progress,” he added.
One new technology that Singapore has embraced is self-driving vehicles. Driverless shuttle trials by ComfortDelGro and Grab were launched in the first half of 2026 in Punggol. And from end-2026, self-driving public buses will be tested in Marina Bay, Shenton Way and one-north in Buona Vista.
PM Wong said at the National Day Rally that once the self-driving technology has been proven, the Government intends to scale it up as Singapore needs new solutions to meet growing transportation demands.
For instance, it is becoming harder to recruit bus captains. The country’s taxi drivers are also ageing, with two in three cabbies aged 60 and above. Autonomous vehicles can thus help ease these manpower constraints and keep services reliable.
But he noted that these self-driving vehicles pose a major concern for many taxi and private-hire drivers who depend on driving for a living.
“So, even as we scale up autonomous vehicles, we will do so progressively. We will not let adoption run ahead of our ability to retrain and support affected drivers, and help them move into new jobs,” he said, adding that the country needs to build confidence in the technology, with safety remaining its priority.
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