LTA drops plan to trial driverless buses on 2 SBS Transit routes

Plans to deploy six driverless buses on two SBS Transit routes from mid-2026 have reportedly been dropped as authorities explore smaller-scale trials.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday (Oct 12) that the six autonomous buses will not be deployed on services 400 and 191, reported The Straits Times (ST). 

LTA said it is taking a phased and calibrated approach towards rolling out autonomous buses.

"We are currently exploring narrower use cases for autonomous buses serving targeted groups of commuters, such as employee shuttle services, before considering wider deployment on public bus services, which is more complex," LTA said.

Details of the new approach will be announced at a later date, LTA added.

Buses underwent rigorous testing: LTA  

The LTA shared in March that the six driverless buses were expected to begin operating on services 400 and 191 in the second half of 2026, following safety testing.

All six autonomous buses had been delivered to Singapore, the authority said at the time, adding that they would undergo rigorous testing to ensure they met all safety and operational requirements before entering service.

The self-driving buses were originally slated to ply service 400 in Marina Bay and service 191 at one-north.

The 16-seater buses would have features similar to those on regular buses but would also be fitted with additional cameras and sensors at the front, rear and roof to provide 360-degree awareness of their surroundings.

Each bus would also have a wheelchair-accessible space near the door. Unlike regular buses, the driverless buses would have only one door.

AsiaOne has reached out to LTA for more information.

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com