Grab launches autonomous shuttle bus for its employees between office and MRT station

CNA

08-07-2025

SINGAPORE: Grab will be shuttling employees between its one-north office and the MRT station with an autonomous vehicle (AV) starting Wednesday (Jul 9).
The 22-seater electric shuttle bus will operate daily during the off-peak hours of 2pm to 4pm, the local tech firm announced on Tuesday, adding that employees can track the vehicle's location using the Grab app.
A trained safety driver will be present at all times to 'ensure passenger safety and smooth operations', said Grab in a statement.
The shuttle will only be available to Grab employees and is operated in collaboration with Autonomous A2Z, a Korean AV manufacturer.
A2Z's business and international managing director Ryan Kim said that A2Z has been collaborating closely with Grab, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and local safety drivers to prepare for AV operations in Singapore.
'The pilot will enable us to better assess the commercial viability of autonomous shuttles in addressing first- and last-mile commute challenges while exploring their potential to alleviate manpower shortages in the public transport sector,' he said.
He added that A2Z and Grab will share insights from the initiative with the government to 'support Singapore's broader AV ambitions'.
Grab's initiative comes days after it was announced that Singapore will be trialling AVs in Punggol from the fourth quarter of this year.
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said last month that AVs will be plying fixed routes in Punggol.
Prior to the launch, the autonomous shuttle went through over 100 hours of 'training' on the fixed 3.9km route connecting Grab's office to one-north station.
Information on lane markings, traffic lights and obstacles was collected. The shuttle was also trained to respond to real-world scenarios such as stopping at zebra crossings, traffic lights and unplanned scenarios such as traffic obstructions.
The AV is equipped with 11 sensors and has a 360-degree view of its surroundings.
'If an issue with the sensors or systems is detected, the in-built safety algorithm will ensure the bus comes to a safe and complete stop,' said Grab.
Other than the two hours of operations daily, there will be an additional hour of further training for the vehicle.
Both Grab and A2Z will closely monitor ride performance and safety outcomes before opening up more time slots.
During a demonstration with media on board, the autonomous shuttle drove with caution - coming to a complete stop at zebra crossings even when no pedestrians were observed.
The bus also kept a safe distance from any stopped or incoming vehicles and backed out from a lane change when a vehicle abruptly cut in.
Whenever a cyclist or jaywalker appeared, even if they were a distance away, the bus would jerk to a stop to avoid any chance of an accident.
A screen on the bus indicated whether it was in 'autonomous mode' or 'manual mode'. Other information such as speed, direction and arrival time was also shown.
Through the pilot, Grab also looks to explore how Singapore workers, such as platform workers, can upskill and transition into emerging roles in the AV sector.
For a start, Grab aims to train up to 10 safety drivers by the end of the year. Five drivers are currently undergoing training.
Grab's regional head of operations Yee Wee Tang said that safety is a top priority.
'Through this initiative, we are evaluating the safety performance of autonomous technologies and exploring the potential new job opportunities this sector could create,' he said.