\n<\/p>\n
LTA told CNA that Singapore is well-positioned to facilitate AV deployment, given its comprehensive and well-maintained road network.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrior to operating on public roads, AVs are required to demonstrate the capability to safely navigate Singapore\u2019s road network via a closed-circuit test,\u201d said an LTA spokesperson.<\/p>\n
\u201cSubsequently, when operating on public roads, there will be a safety operator on board the AV as an additional safeguard to ensure safety for other road users.\u201d<\/p>\n
LTA added that the AVs may progress to driverless operations without safety operators, only after clearing the necessary readiness assessments.<\/p>\n
However, when it comes to driving a bus, many nuances cannot be easily replicated by technology, private bus operators said.<\/p>\n
Mr Lionel Lee, director of private bus company Westpoint Transit, said AVs are not yet at the level where they can make decisions on the fly, such as rerouting when there is an accident.<\/p>\n
Another scenario is when a passenger injures themself or needs medical assistance on board. \u201cWithout a human there, they will not be attended to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that such situations could be managed through remote monitoring \u2013 for example, by having a human operator at a central location change the route, or by deploying employees to attend to passengers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then you are doubling down on resources to cover where AV tech is not able to provide for,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Dexter Ang, marketing manager of A&S Transit, said drivers often have to react to information given on the ground, such as locating places based on human descriptions.<\/p>\n
His company\u2019s bus drivers, who primarily transport workers between dormitories and construction sites, often face unforeseen circumstances such as inclement weather, forcing last-minute changes to pick-up points, as well as roads that are not reflected on maps.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, (the industry) is still quite human-dependent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Associate Professor Theseira said that even on set routes, such as public bus services, there are complexities that are best handled by human drivers for now.<\/p>\n
In Singapore, most bus stops have dedicated bays for buses to pull in. But a common situation arises when the bay is not long enough to accommodate several buses arriving at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know that human bus drivers alternate between practices like, if they’re at a certain point, they won’t open the doors and let anybody on board, but at a certain point, they will,\u201d he said. \u201cAll these things have to be regularised for the (AV) system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such nuances in operating vehicles in public are partly why it has taken so long for AVs to gain traction, even though trials around the world began earlier this century, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not actually a Singapore problem, it’s a global problem, and the global problem really has to do with the fact that the early advances in AV technology proved to be illusory,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While technological breakthroughs in the early 2010s showed that it was feasible for autonomous vehicles to be on public roads, the leap from that to replacing a human driver has yet to be fully bridged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe challenge is, can they do it to a level necessary to do everything we expect a human driver to do?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStuff like all your lane change manoeuvres, or picking up passages and so on, that is where it starts to be a lot more troublesome \u2026 that\u2019s the problem that has stymied everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Associate Professor Raymond Ong, a transport infrastructure researcher at the National University of Singapore (NUS), agreed that protocols may have to be put in place for AVs to handle \u201cedge events\u201d.<\/p>\n
These include situations such as illegal parking, jaywalking, sudden lane changes and the need to yield to emergency vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n