Look mum, no hands? Singapore looks into driverless vehicles

SINGAPORE - Imagine a Singapore where cars and buses zip on the roads without drivers. Commuters can hop from one town to the next on board shared vehicles steered by autopilot. This was the bold vision outlined by a new government committee set up to oversee research into driverless technology.

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Ministry of Transport's press release:

Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore
MOT sets up CARTS to chart future for AV-enabled land mobility concepts in Singapore

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) will be studying ways to harness Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology for our land transport system in the coming decades, to make Singapore an even more sustainable and liveable city.

Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore (CARTS)

2. Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Transport, announced the formation of CARTS at the conference, "Autonomous Transport: Paving the Road for Future Mobility", co-organised by LTA and A*STAR.

3. The 17-member committee will be headed by Mr Pang Kin Keong, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport. In addition to the public sector members from the relevant planning agencies, a number of renowned international experts, academics and industry members have also been invited to join CARTS. These members were invited based on their experience and expertise in relevant areas, including AV technology, urban planning, new business models, and transport solutions. The list of CARTS members is at Annex A.

4. Over the next two years, CARTS will:
- Provide thought leadership and guidance on the research, development and deployment of AV technology and AV-enabled mobility concepts for Singapore; and
- Study the associated opportunities and challenges.

5. The work of CARTS will be supported by two workgroups. The first workgroup, jointly chaired by Mr Lee Chuan Teck, Deputy Secretary (Land & Corporate), Ministry of Transport and Ms Chang Hwee Nee, Deputy Secretary (Planning), Ministry of National Development, will focus on "Visioning AV Deployment in Singapore". The work group will vision what AV-enabled towns in Singapore in the future could look like, recommend AV-enabled mobility concept plans for such towns, and chart a roadmap for implementation.

6. The second work group, chaired by Mr Chew Hock Yong, Chief Executive, Land Transport Authority, will focus on "Regulations and Implementation". The scope includes determining a safety, regulatory and liability framework for AVs on public roads and spaces, and R&D and test-bedding of AV technology and concepts in Singapore.

7. "AV technology has the potential to transform the way we travel and also the way we live. It is important that we study the technology and how we can harness it for future mobility, even as we continue to work hard to improve the current transport system," said Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport.

8. Members of the public, the research & development community, academics and transport industry are encouraged to participate in this study. For now, suggestions and ideas can be emailed to AV_Ideas@mot.gov.sg or posted on the AV Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AVIdeasSG.