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Singapore Law Watch
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Singapore Law Watch
Tough questions lie ahead as Singapore accelerates push for driverless vehicles
Tough questions lie ahead as Singapore accelerates push for driverless vehicles Source: Straits Times Article Date: 11 Jul 2025 Author: Kok Yufeng Openness about regulations and safety will help to build trust in nascent technology. During a two-day visit to Guangzhou in late June, a delegation led by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow got a glimpse 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 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. His words rang true for this reporter, who had the chance to ride in 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 matured, it has 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. But the routes are pre-determined, and a safety driver must be 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 envisage 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 at the national level, with policing left largely to local city governments. Despite rising adoption, Ping An Insurance is so far the only insurer in the country to have 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. 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 over-reliance 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 (MOT) 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 that 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, 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, do not expect to be able to hail a self-driving cab ride any time soon. 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 their ubiquity in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, autonomous driving technology companies such as 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 began releasing a lot more data about its safety record in 2024, and adding more nuance to its numbers, for example, by highlighting the number of collisions that occurred at low speed. To bolster its claims, the company has also started publishing peer-reviewed research papers. 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. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Straits Times
09-07-2025
- 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.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Elon Musk says he wants to bring Tesla's robotaxis to Saudi Arabia, where Uber is also racing to launch its robotaxi service
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he wants to bring robotaxis to Saudi Arabia. Uber is already making a robotaxi play in the Kingdom through a partnership with China's Uber also owns Careem, the dominant rideshare app in the region. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he wants to bring robotaxis to Saudi Arabia, where Uber is already laying the groundwork to launch autonomous vehicles later this year. At the US-Saudi Investment Forum on Tuesday, Musk made a big push for robotics in Saudi Arabia, including self-driving cars. "Really you can think of future cars as being robots on four wheels, and I think it would be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the Kingdom if you're amenable," Musk said to Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi's Minister of Communications and Information Technology. Musk didn't provide any details or timeline for when that could happen. Tesla has yet to launch its robotaxi service to the public anywhere in the world. The company has said it plans to launch a pilot of the service in Austin in June. Musk said the ramp-up for expansion afterward should be quick. A Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabian leaders have said they want autonomous vehicles to play a role in the country's broader Vision 2030 modernization plans, which aim to reduce the region's economic dependence on oil by making heavy investments in technology. The country last year released a regulatory framework around the adoption of self-driving cars. Uber announced on May 6 that it plans to deploy robotaxis in the Kingdom sometime this year through its partnership with China's The company hasn't specified a date. robotaxi ambitions in the US came to a screeching halt in 2022 after the Department of Motor Vehicles revoked its California permit, citing multiple driving violations. The startup continues to offer autonomous rides to the public in China. A spokesperson for did not respond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabia's Transport General Authority said Tuesday in a post on X that the agency had signed a memorandum of understanding with Uber to launch autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom. An MOU is not binding and simply signals an intent to collaborate. "First autonomous vehicles expected to launch on the Uber platform with onboard safety operators in 2025," the Transport General Authority wrote. Uber is already a sizable player in the Kingdom's rideshare market. The company owns Careem, which is the go-to ride-hailing app in the Middle East, operating in 26 cities throughout the Kingdom. Uber also separately operates its ridesharing service in the region. A spokesperson for Uber declined to comment. A spokesperson for Careem did not respond to a request for comment. Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at lloydlee@ or Signal at lloydlee.07. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Elon Musk says he wants to bring Tesla's robotaxis to Saudi Arabia, where Uber is also racing to launch its robotaxi service
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he wants to bring robotaxis to Saudi Arabia, where Uber is already laying the groundwork to launch autonomous vehicles later this year. At the US-Saudi Investment Forum on Tuesday, Musk made a big push for robotics in Saudi Arabia, including self-driving cars. "Really you can think of future cars as being robots on four wheels, and I think it would be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the Kingdom if you're amenable," Musk said to Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi's Minister of Communications and Information Technology. Musk didn't provide any details or timeline for when that could happen. Tesla has yet to launch its robotaxi service to the public anywhere in the world. The company has said it plans to launch a pilot of the service in Austin in June. Musk said the ramp-up for expansion afterward should be quick. A Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabian leaders have said they want autonomous vehicles to play a role in the country's broader Vision 2030 modernization plans, which aim to reduce the region's economic dependence on oil by making heavy investments in technology. The country last year released a regulatory framework around the adoption of self-driving cars. Uber announced on May 6 that it plans to deploy robotaxis in the Kingdom sometime this year through its partnership with China's The company hasn't specified a date. robotaxi ambitions in the US came to a screeching halt in 2022 after the Department of Motor Vehicles revoked its California permit, citing multiple driving violations. The startup continues to offer autonomous rides to the public in China. A spokesperson for did not respond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabia's Transport General Authority said Tuesday in a post on X that the agency had signed a memorandum of understanding with Uber to launch autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom. An MOU is not binding and simply signals an intent to collaborate. "First autonomous vehicles expected to launch on the Uber platform with onboard safety operators in 2025," the Transport General Authority wrote. Uber is already a sizable player in the Kingdom's rideshare market. The company owns Careem, which is the go-to ride-hailing app in the Middle East, operating in 26 cities throughout the Kingdom. Uber also separately operates its ridesharing service in the region.
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Chinese Robotaxis Have Government Black Boxes, Approach U.S. Quality
A robotaxi in Guangzhou Robotaxi development is speeding at a fast pace in China, but we don't hear much about it in the USA, where the news focuses mostly on Waymo, with a bit about Zoox, Motional, May, trucking projects and other domestic players. China has 4 main players with robotaxi service, dominated by Baidu (the Chinese Google.) A recent session at last week's Drive AI conference in Los Angeles revealed some details about the different regulatory regime in China, and featured a report from a Chinese-American Youtuber who has taken on a mission to ride in the different vehicles. Zion Maffeo, deputy general counsel for provided some details on regulations in China. While Pony began with U.S. operations, its public operations are entirely in China, and it does only testing in the USA. Famously it was one of the few companies to get a California 'no safety driver' test permit, but then lost it after a crash, and later regained it. Chinese authorities at many levels keep a close watch over Chinese robotaxi companies. They must get approval for all levels of operation which control where they can test and operate, and how much supervision is needed. Operation begins with testing with a safety driver behind the wheel (as almost everywhere in the world,) with eventual graduation to having the safety driver in the passenger seat but with an emergency stop. Then they move to having a supervisor in the back seat before they can test with nobody in the vehicle, usually limited to an area with simpler streets. Panel at Ride AI conference discusses Chinese robotaxis, including Sophia Tung and Zion Maffeo on ... More the right, and moderator Sophie Schmidt and Helen Pan of Baidu Apollo on left. The big jump can then come to allow testing with nobody in the vehicle, but with full time monitoring by a remote employee who can stop the vehicle. From there they can graduate to taking passengers, and then expanding the service to more complex areas. Later they can go further, and not have full time remote monitoring, though there do need to be remote employees able to monitor and assist part time. Pony has a permit allowing it to have 3 vehicles per remote operator, and has one for 15 vehicles in process, but they declined comment on just how many vehicles they actually have per operator. Baidu also did not respond to queries on this. No U.S. regulation is that strict, though US companies have followed similar paths, though most have not bothered with having employees in the vehicle but not behind the wheel, as that's more of a gimmick that something that improves safety. (Some companies which have vehicles with no steering wheel have had, or still have, operations with an employee on board who can stop the vehicle but is unable to grab a wheel.) U.S. permits in California have far fewer stages, with permits for testing, testing with no safety driver, and carrying passengers with or without a safety driver. Some states, like Arizona and Texas have almost no specific regulations. While Waymo and Cruise never made any explicit statements, it is widely believed that when they did their first operations with no employee aboard, they used full time remote monitoring. This is a the prudent thing to do, and is the plan for companies like Aurora and Waabi which have both declared they will operate trucks with no safety driver aboard this year. It is unknown when Waymo stopped having full time remote monitoring, and in fact they have not officially declared it, though based on operational incidents, they obviously don't, and nor did Cruise (or their dragging incident would be unlikely to have happened.) In addition, Chinese jurisdictions require that the system in a car independently log any 'interventions' by safety drivers in a sort of 'black box' system. These reports are regularly given to regulators, though they are not made public. In California, companies must file an annual disengagement report, but they have considerable leeway on what they consider a disengagement so the numbers can't be readily compared. Chinese companies have no discretion on what is reported, and they may notify authorities of a specific objection if they wish to declare that an intervention logged in their black box should not be counted. There are strong arguments against such strict reporting. Safety drivers are told to intervene when they have any doubt, which means they will frequently intervene when not necessary. Because companies with mandatory reporting of all interventions want to keep their number down, they may, even unconsciously, discourage interventions. They also don't want to have to count things like bathroom breaks which have no bearing on safety, leading to the wrong incentive. On the other hand, giving companies full leeway on what counts led to essentially useless reports in California. The right answer is hard. This more strict regulation reportedly also has its own Chinese 'flavour' and personal relationships are also important to get permits and deploy. Even so, it's not slowing things down much, if at all. Sophia Tung is a YouTuber who is fluent in English and Mandarin and has traveled to China to try the Chinese robotaxis, and has also used them in the USA. Only a modest number of experienced users have had the chance to do this, so it's good that Ms. Tung has made videos of her experiences. Her first Chinese trip involved a Baidu 5th generation car. Her overall impression was that vehicle, and the service around it were unacceptably poor. However, a return trip involved using Baidu's newer 6th generation vehicle which she reports is much better; the best of all the Chinese players, and closer to Waymo in quality, though not quite at its level. Her first trip involved limited service, very long wait times, and poor ride quality, but the 6th generation vehicle, in Wuhan, did much better. Oddly, she also rode 5th generation vehicles in Wuhan on her 2nd trip, and they were still of low quality in her view. They have fewer LIDARs and quite probably less compute resources. It's possible they also haven't received the newest software because of their old hardware. Baidu did not respond to queries for this story. Tung also got a chance to ride with other players. She found a WeRide Robobus to nearly match the Baidu Apollo ride, though WeRide's robotaxi wasn't quite as good. It was at a similar level to the robotaxi in her estimation. The Waymo ride ranks ahead of all of these, and the Baidu Apollo 5th generation vehicle well below. While Cruise is gone, she rode it during its day and felt it was a little worse than the Pony and WeRide robotaxis, but better than the 5th generation Baidu. She has not ridden with AutoX, which has been operating in the Pingshan area of Shenzhen. There has been only limited news recently about AutoX. Of course, it's important to remember that single experiences and videos tell us only a very limited amount about the quality of a robotaxi. If anything serious goes wrong, you can conclude the vehicle is still very immature. A mature vehicle will drive flawlessly when it comes to major issues like safety and getting stuck or blocking traffic. While all vehicles still make errors, in mature vehicles the errors should be so rare that the odds of an individual encountering one should be quite low. Only bulk statistics can help measure the quality of these vehicles, and none of the Chinese companies release them. (Waymo and Cruise do/did release them, though Tesla, May and Motional do not.) It's also worth noting that Tung waxed enthusiastically about other elements in the Baidu vehicle not related to the ride quality, such as built in massage chairs, and their use of battery swap (which is much more common in China than elsewhere.) This is impressive considering that Baidu reports their robotaxi only costs around $28,000 to make. Her enthusiasm raises the question of how much 'comfort features' of Robotaxis will matter when the market gets competitive. She said she would definitely prefer a vehicle with massage, though it's less clear if that would be preferred with a longer wait time or higher cost. Zoox has bet big on designing its own custom vehicle in order to deliver the best experience they can compared to traditional car forms. Waymo also planned to use a more spacious vehicle from China's Zeekr, but has apparently scaled back those plans after 100% tariffs were put on Chinese EVs by President Biden, and now have been made higher by President Trump.
