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The first of six self-driving public buses\u00a0arrived in Singapore earlier in March. The buses will be tested on routes served by\u00a0public bus services\u00a0400 in Marina Bay and 191 in one-north\u00a0from the second half of 2026 as part of a pilot.<\/p>\n
In a Facebook post on March 25, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the six buses will be rigorously tested to ensure\u00a0that\u00a0they meet all safety and operating requirements before they hit the roads. When ready, the self-driving public buses will operate alongside existing manned buses, it added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
LTA provided a video preview of\u00a0what\u00a0the 16-seat bus\u00a0looks like, noting that its features are similar to those of public buses. In the video, a space designated for a wheelchair can be seen.<\/p>\n
The bus also comes with cameras and sensors at the front, rear and top, providing operators with 360-degree awareness of the surroundings.<\/p>\n
LTA said in the video that\u00a0more preparatory work is\u00a0needed before testing starts. The tests will include\u00a0LTA\u2019s\u00a0closed-circuit test comprising basic manoeuvres and an assessment of the buses\u2019\u00a0ability\u00a0to allow passengers to board and alight safely at all designated stops.<\/p>\n
The driverless vehicles will be deployed on the two public bus routes in a three-year pilot.<\/p>\n
Service 400 serves the Marina Bay and Shenton Way areas, stopping at Marina Bay Cruise Centre and Gardens by the Bay, as well as Shenton Way and Downtown MRT stations.<\/p>\n
Service 191 plies the one-north area. Besides Buona Vista bus terminal, it also stops at one-north and Buona Vista MRT stations.<\/p>\n
After the first six units are deployed, LTA can procure 14 more and expand the pilot to additional public bus services\u00a0in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The six buses and their systems are manufactured by software and application developer MKX Technologies, autonomous vehicle specialist Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing) and electric vehicle-maker BYD.<\/p>\n
Source: The Straits Times<\/p>\n
Note: <\/i><\/b>This article was written by Esther Loi and first appeared in The Straits Times on 25 March 2026.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n