Islandwide Autonomous Vehicles Roll-Out by 2030

Singapore is planning to expand the use of autonomous vehicles (AV) across the island over the next five years. The goal is to improve public transport, shorten commute times, and offer more transport options, especially for residents living in Housing Development Board (HDB) estates farther from the city.

According to The Straits Times, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said AVs could help ease manpower challenges in the public transport sector. He noted that these vehicles could operate in neighbourhoods, adding flexibility and convenience for residents.

Siow further outlined plans to deploy small, driverless vehicles on fixed yet flexible routes within HDB areas. During peak hours, these vehicles would connect residents to main transport nodes. At other times, they could travel to places like clinics or community centres.

He added that the technology is already available, citing similar examples from cities like San Francisco and Guangzhou, which he plans to visit soon.

Siow said the focus will also be on making towns more walkable and increasing the density of bus networks. However, expanding the current system takes time and resources, particularly when it comes to recruiting more drivers.

This is where autonomous vehicles could make a real difference, by efficiently handling the “first and last mile” of commutes, getting people from their homes to MRT stations and bus interchanges.

Calling AVs a “game changer”, Siow suggested the technology could even change how people view car ownership, and in time, affect Singapore’s certificate of entitlement (COE) system.

Singapore has been studying autonomous transport since 2014, though progress has been slow. Recently, however, the Land Transport Authority has renewed its efforts, with plans to begin autonomous bus trials by mid-2026.

Asked about Singapore’s long-term targets, like having a “45-minute city” and “20-minute towns”—Siow admitted these goals are ambitious. Still, he noted that the country is close to meeting its aim of having 80% of households within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station, helped by upcoming rail projects like the Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line.

Meanwhile here in Malaysia, Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke recently said that the government is considering new legislation to regulate autonomous vehicles on public roads. This move would support the development and digitalisation of AVs, particularly in logistics and public transport.