Singapore eyes driverless buses in HDB estates to cut commute times, ease manpower crunch over next five years
SINGAPORE, June 17 – Singapore plans to expand its use of self-driving vehicles islandwide over the next five years, aiming to enhance public transport efficiency and reduce commuting times, particularly for residents in Housing Development Board (HDB) estates located further from the city.
The Straits Times (ST) wrote citing Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow saying autonomous vehicles could ease manpower pressures and offer more transport options in neighbourhoods, forming a key part of efforts to make public transport more appealing.
'It relieves our public transport system of one key constraint, which is manpower. And it will add to the range of options that people have in HDB estates,' Siow was quoted saying.
Siow also outlined plans to deploy smaller, driverless vehicles on flexible fixed routes within HDB areas, serving key nodes during peak hours and locations like clinics or community centres at other times.
'I think that will be a significant addition to our public transport network and the technology is already here,' he added, citing examples in San Francisco and Guangzhou, which he plans to visit later this month.
Siow said his priority is to cut travel times to the city for areas like Tengah, Punggol, Jurong West and Pasir Ris, through more walkable towns and denser bus networks — though he noted challenges such as the time and resources needed to recruit drivers and expand bus infrastructure.
Autonomous vehicles, instead, could address these issues by efficiently handling the 'first and last mile' of commutes to MRT stations and bus interchanges, which currently account for significant inefficiencies.
Calling self-driving technology a 'game changer', he said it could fundamentally alter car ownership trends and potentially impact the certificate of entitlement (COE) system in the long run.
According to ST, Singapore began exploring autonomous transport in 2014, but progress has been limited.
However, recent technological advancements have reignited interest, with the Land Transport Authority closing a proposal call for autonomous bus trials set to begin in mid-2026.
Asked about the goal of achieving a '45-minute city' and '20-minute towns', Siow acknowledged these were stretch targets.
However, he affirmed that Singapore was nearing its aim of having 80 per cent of households within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station, aided by upcoming lines like the Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line.
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