logo
#

Latest news with #ChengSiakKian

ComfortDelGro launches upskilling initiative for drivers with focus on autonomous vehicles, Singapore News
ComfortDelGro launches upskilling initiative for drivers with focus on autonomous vehicles, Singapore News

AsiaOne

time16-07-2025

  • Business
  • AsiaOne

ComfortDelGro launches upskilling initiative for drivers with focus on autonomous vehicles, Singapore News

Transport operator ComfortDelGro launched a new training initiative designed to upskill drivers and equip them with the necessary skills amid a greater push for autonomous vehicles (AVs). In a statement on Wednesday (July 16), the company said that the new training and development initiatives reflect its "commitment to a responsible and inclusive evolution of the transport industry" as it embraces AV technology. Simultaneously, the company aims to keep drivers up-to-date with relevant skills required to navigate the evolving transport landscape. The first initiative, launched in Singapore, focuses on training safety operators for AVs developed by ComfortDelGro's partner Moovita, which operates a fleet of autonomous shuttles across Singapore. ComfortDelGro has also started remote operator and fleet management training as part of its AV pilot in China. It also has plans for broader training and development initiatives. For instance, it is looking to create cross-training programmes that will enable safety operators to work with different types of AV technologies. Additionally, the company is also planning to develop other roles unique to AV operations, such as remote operators, maintenance specialists, data analysts and fleet management positions. "This flexibility will enhance career opportunities for participants while supporting the Group's broader autonomous vehicle initiatives," the company said. "AV-related training and development are key to building new capabilities and creating new roles for the next generation of mobility solutions," said ComfortDelGro's group CEO and managing director Cheng Siak Kian. He also reiterated the company's commitment to empowering current employees and drivers to take advantage of new opportunities in the AV sector while developing new talent so that the workforce "remains at the forefront of the industry's transformation". LTA's big push for AVs Singapore is aiming to transform its public transport network with the introduction of AVs, said Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow in an interview on June 11. According to Siow, self-driving technology will help address manpower challenges while potentially causing a shift in Singaporean's perspective on car ownership. "I have no doubt in five years you will be you will see many autonomous vehicles in Singapore, and we will start off probably with fixed routes in HDB estates, taking people to safely, to point to point to where they want to go," he added. He also spoke about the evolving role of drivers in the transport sector, and that the Government, together with NTUC, will "help these drivers make the best of these new opportunities". According to Siow, some drivers will transition to the new jobs created, while others may have to "reskill, to retrain and to take up other jobs in the economy that will be generated because of economic change". [[nid:719631]]

Tough questions lie ahead as Singapore accelerates push for driverless vehicles
Tough questions lie ahead as Singapore accelerates push for driverless vehicles

Straits Times

time09-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • Straits Times

Tough questions lie ahead as Singapore accelerates push for driverless vehicles

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - During a two-day visit to Guangzhou in late June, a delegation led by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow had a taste of what transportation could look like in Singapore in the coming years . Ushered into Toyota Siennas fitted with low-profile cameras and light detection and ranging (Lidar) sensors , the contingent of government officials and union representatives was taken on a ride through the streets of Nansha district at the southern tip of the Chinese port city . This is where robotaxi company has been operating commercially since 2022. Peeling out of the company's operations centre into moderate traffic, the minivans drove at the speed limit of 60kmh and navigated a number of complex intersections with ease - switching lanes and overtaking other vehicles, all without a driver or a safety operator on board. Later, in an interview with Singapore media, who were invited to join the delegation on the trip, ComfortDelGro group chief executive Cheng Siak Kian said self-driving technology has improved by leaps and bounds. 'You will quickly forget that you are in a vehicle that has got no driver inside,' he said. The interior of a Robotaxi at the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, on April 24. PHOTO: REUTERS His words rang true for this reporter, who got a chance to take vehicle, as well as a self-driving minibus operated by the Guangzhou Public Transport Group and supplied by Chinese firm WeRide. There was some novelty in seeing an empty driver's seat and a steering wheel turn on its own . In WeRide's case, there was no steering wheel at all. The smooth rides meant there was hardly any trepidation. 'Seeing is believing,' said chief executive James Peng. Like it or not, the driverless future is upon us. But even as the technology has shown maturity, it has also raised important questions to which there are no easy answers. For instance, the safety records touted by the likes of and WeRide are impressive, but their self-driving vehicles have until recently been limited to areas far from the city centre. In February, was allowed to operate paid robotaxi services from specific points in the downtown area to key transit hubs such as Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The routes are, however, pre-determined and there must be a safety driver on board because the journey involves going onto expressways, where robotaxi services have not been extensively tested yet. Separately, in May, WeRide's robobus was given the nod to operate on a paid public bus route in central Guangzhou, but only from 7pm to 9pm. This is part of a phased approach by the Guangzhou Public Transport Group. So, there is still a long way to go to definitively prove that autonomous vehicles will , indeed, improve road safety and outperform human drivers. Self-driving companies also envi sage a future where remote operators can monitor a number of autonomous vehicles from afar and intervene as needed. But how many vehicles should each operator be allowed to supervise at any time? That is still up for debate, even in places such as Guangzhou, where such remote operations are already in place. Regulators will also need to consider whether existing traffic rules and liability laws are sufficient, and whether insurers are ready to handle claims involving autonomous vehicles. In China, there are no clear self-driving vehicle regulations on the national level, with the policing left largely to local city governments. And despite rising adoption, Ping An Insurance is today the only insurer in the country that has come up with a dedicated policy for autonomous vehicles. In Guangzhou, existing laws and frameworks apply. In Shenzhen, the vehicle owner is liable if there is no one at the wheel. Britain took a different tack, passing an Act in May 2024 that will create new legal entities - likely the vehicle manufacturer and software developer - and hold them responsible if an autonomous vehicle breaks traffic rules when driving itself. This will take effect in 2027. Singapore, which took baby steps in 2017 to regulate the testing of self-driving vehicles, will need to conduct a thorough review soon to decide which legal path it wants to take. The Government will also need to grapple with the wider societal impact , too. Can workers make the transition to the new jobs that self-driving companies say will emerge , given the different skills needed? Could self-driving vehicles breed complacency among road users and pedestrians? An overreliance on automated systems to make the right decisions can lead to reduced vigilance . All this, and more, will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. In just a few months, autonomous shuttles will take to the roads of Punggol, plying short fixed routes within the estate, as part of a major push by the Ministry of Transport to roll out driverless technology . Private companies here have also re-entered the autonomous vehicle space after earlier attempts sputtered . Most recently, Grab said on July 8 it will test a 22-seat driverless shuttle for its employees . This comes nine years after the ride-hailing giant made history in 2016 by launching the world's first robotaxi trials in one-north business park in a tie-up with US start-up nuTonomy , which was later sold . Aims to start a fully fledged service never materialised. While there is a renewed push here to get autonomous vehicles on the road as quickly as possible, that is not to say that Singapore is throwing caution to the wind. MOT has said the deployment of the driverless shuttles in Punggol will be done in steps, and the vehicles will not ferry any passengers until residents and road users are more comfortable with them. There will be a safety officer on board, and only if the technology is established to be safe enough will they be replaced by remote operators. Additionally, the idea is for the autonomous shuttles to supplement the public transport network and create more travel options , and not replace existing services. Hence, even though and Baidu's robotaxi subsidiary Apollo Go have said they are keen to start trials here as soon as the end of 2025, don't expect to be able to hail a self-driving cab ride any time soon. And even with Singapore's more considered approach, the Government must begin to tackle the pressing questions head-on, and communicate clearly its considerations and intentions to the public. The city of Wuhan in China presents a cautionary tale for how the roll-out of driverless vehicles must take into account the views of all parties. In 2024, plans to rapidly scale up a self-driving taxi fleet in the capital of Hubei province drew fierce backlash from local cabbies, who petitioned the municipal transport authority to limit its use. A major reason for the unhappiness is the aggressive discounts that Apollo Go, which operates the robotaxis there, has been offering passengers to gain market share, heightening fears about job security. Despite its ubiquity in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, the likes of Waymo have also not been able to turn public opinion fully in their favour. A 2024 survey by the American Automobile Association found that 91 per cent of drivers in the US do not trust self-driving vehicles. High-profile accidents and congestion caused by stalling driverless vehicles have not helped with the public perception. In an attempt to win over sceptics, Waymo in 2024 began releasing a lot more data about its safety record and adding more nuance to its numbers , for example, by highlighting the number of collisions that are at low speed . To bolster its claims, the company has also started to publish research papers that have been peer-reviewed. As Singapore ramps up autonomous vehicle use, there needs to be a similar level of openness about the risks and pitfalls. This will help build public trust in what remains a nascent concept to many Singaporeans.

Stocks to watch: ComfortDelGro, Venture, Golden Agri-Resources, SingPost, Centurion, Sasseur Reit
Stocks to watch: ComfortDelGro, Venture, Golden Agri-Resources, SingPost, Centurion, Sasseur Reit

Business Times

time15-05-2025

  • Business
  • Business Times

Stocks to watch: ComfortDelGro, Venture, Golden Agri-Resources, SingPost, Centurion, Sasseur Reit

[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Thursday (May 15). ComfortDelGro : The transport behemoth posted a 19 per cent rise in its net profit to S$48.3 million for the first quarter ended March on contributions from last year's acquisitions and improved margins. It said in an update on Wednesday that revenue rose 16.4 per cent year on year to S$1.2 billion, whereas operating costs climbed at a slower pace of 15 per cent. The mainboard-listed company was confident that its cabbies would not jump ship to Grab. At the Apr 22 annual general meeting, the transport operator's group chief executive Cheng Siak Kian sought to assure shareholders about the loyalty of its own taxi drivers. ComfortDelGro shares were 0.7 per cent or S$0.01 lower at S$1.52, before this business update was released. Venture Corp : The technology solutions provider reported a 7 per cent decline in net profit to S$55.9 million for the first quarter of 2025, from S$60.1 million in the year-ago period. Revenue fell 7.5 per cent to S$616.6 million, from S$666.7 million. Group revenue declined largely due to lower demand in the company's lifestyle consumer technology domain, where it improved the reliability and longevity for a customer's key products through research and design innovation, which led to lower product replacement, the group said in a bourse filing on Wednesday. Shares of Venture closed 0.5 per cent or S$0.06 higher at S$11.27, before the announcement. Golden Agri-Resources : The palm oil company reported on Thursday a net profit of US$55 million for the first quarter ended Mar 31, 2025, up 47 per cent from US$37 million in the previous corresponding period. This was driven by stronger plantation output and an appreciation in the price of crude palm oil. Revenue rose 19 per cent to US$3 billion, from US$2.6 billion in the year-ago period. Shares of Golden Agri-Resources closed flat at S$0.245 on Wednesday. Singapore Post (SingPost): The company's net profit for the second half ended Mar 31 surged 232.7 per cent to S$222.5 million, from S$66.9 million in the corresponding year-ago period. This was largely due to an exceptional gain from the disposal of its Australia business. Following this sale, the group proposed a special dividend of S$0.09 per share. Excluding the net exceptional gain, SingPost's underlying net loss for H2 stood at S$461,000, versus a net profit of S$28.1 million in the year-ago period. Revenue was down 12.1 per cent at S$387.5 million from S$440.6 million previously, the group said on Thursday. SingPost shares closed 1.6 per cent or S$0.01 higher at S$0.635 on Wednesday. Centurion : The dormitory and student accommodation operator's revenue rose 13 per cent to S$69 million for the first quarter ended Mar 31, from S$61.1 million in the year-ago period. This was driven by positive rental revisions across markets and strong financial occupancies in both Singapore and the United Kingdom. Revenue from the purpose-built worker accommodation segment grew 15 per cent to S$53.4 million from S$46.2 million. Meanwhile, revenue from its purpose-built student accommodation segment rose 2 per cent to S$15 million from S$14.7 million. Shares of Centurion closed S$0.01 or 0.8 per cent down at S$1.25 on Wednesday. Sasseur Real Estate Investment Trust (Sasseur Reit): The manager of the Reit posted that rental income for the first quarter ended March rose 1.6 per cent year on year to 175.4 million yuan (S$32.5 million), from 172.6 million yuan in the previous corresponding period. However, the rental income was 0.2 per cent lower in Singapore dollar, mainly due to the depreciation of yuan against the Singapore dollar, the manager said on Thursday. Units of Sasseur reit closed 1.6 per cent or S$0.01 higher at S$0.64 on Wednesday. Manulife US Real Estate Investment Trust (Manulife US Reit): It posted a portfolio occupancy of 69.9 per cent for its first quarter ended March, down from 73.9 per cent in the previous quarter. The manager of the pure-play US office Reit said that this was largely due to the expiry of leases at its Diablo property in the submarket of Tempe, Arizona. Notable leases executed over the quarter included the Phipps' and Centerpointe's new leases of 27,000 square feet (sq ft) and 29,000 sq ft, respectively. Units of the Manulife US Reit closed 1.6 per cent or US$0.001 lower at US$0.063 on Wednesday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store