Grab’s driverless shuttle nearly hits schoolgirl at traffic crossing in Punggol, raising safety concerns about autonomous vehicles in Singapore
Grab’s driverless shuttle nearly hits schoolgirl at traffic crossing in Punggol, raising safety concerns about autonomous vehicles in Singapore
SINGAPORE: A Grab driverless shuttle came dangerously close to a schoolgirl crossing a road in Punggol, raising questions about pedestrian safety around autonomous vehicles.
The incident happened at around 8:11 a.m. on Thursday (Nov 5), when the vehicle made a discretionary left turn at a traffic junction.
A 36-second video showing the near miss was posted on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group. The footage showed the girl crossing the road as the shuttle approached. It appeared to come very close to her before slowing down.
The incident is particularly concerning to locals because the vehicle operates as part of Grab’s autonomous shuttle service in Punggol.
The accompanying post warned parents to remind their children to take extra care when crossing roads around Punggol and Sengkang.
The person who shared the video also urged pedestrians to stay alert around Grab’s autonomous vehicles, even when they have a green light and the right of way.
The post's warning comes amid the introduction of driverless transport services in residential areas, where pedestrians and vehicles share the roads.
Grab reviews incident with LTA and WeRide
In response to Channel NewsAsia (CNA)’s queries (Nov 6), a Grab spokesperson said the company was aware of the incident and was reviewing it with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and its technology partner, WeRide.
Grab currently operates two autonomous vehicle routes in Punggol using vehicles developed by WeRide. Grab also stressed that safety is its top priority.
ComfortDelGro operates another route using vehicles supplied by Pony.ai.
In September, Grab announced plans to increase its autonomous vehicle fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over six months. The company also intends to extend its services beyond Punggol to other parts of Singapore.
The ride-hailing company is preparing to introduce an on-demand, point-to-point service at selected locations in Punggol, with more service points planned in the coming months.
Pedestrian safety shouldn't be compromised
Driverless vehicles may offer a new way to travel around Singapore, but their presence also places greater responsibility on authorities to ensure pedestrians are protected.
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Children, in particular, may have less time to react when a vehicle approaches unexpectedly. The review of this incident should establish what happened at the junction and whether anything needs to change.
Technology may take the wheel, but pedestrian safety mustn’t be compromised. A child should never have to rely on a vehicle to slow down at the last second to cross the road safely.