LTA: Grab to suspend some self-driving vehicle tests after vehicle nearly hits schoolgirl in Punggol
Grab’s driverless shuttle nearly hits schoolgirl at traffic crossing in Punggol, raising safety concerns about autonomous vehicles in Singapore
SINGAPORE: A self-driving Grab vehicle came dangerously close to a schoolgirl crossing the road in Punggol. The incident has prompted the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to suspend some of the company’s autonomous vehicle (AV) tests.
LTA said on Friday (Nov 6) that it was informed of the incident a day earlier. It has since begun investigating what happened.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA)’s report on Nov 7, the incident occurred at around 8.11 am on Thursday. A 36-second video shared in the Facebook group SG Road Vigilante showed the vehicle making a left turn as the girl crossed.
Vehicle detected pedestrians before braking
Preliminary data showed that the vehicle had detected two pedestrians and tracked their movements.
When the traffic light turned green, the vehicle began turning left. The pedestrians were initially standing still. However, when the girl started crossing, the vehicle braked and steered to the right.
A safety operator inside the vehicle then took control. The operator continued to brake and steer away from the girl, LTA said.
The authority has directed Grab to pause testing at similar junctions until investigations are complete. It will also review whether the vehicle’s response to such situations needs adjustment.
Grab reviews incident with LTA and WeRide
A Grab spokesperson said that the company was reviewing the incident with LTA and its autonomous vehicle partner, WeRide.
The vehicle was testing a new route ahead of Grab’s enhanced on-demand travel service in Punggol.
Grab currently operates two autonomous vehicle routes using vehicles developed by WeRide. ComfortDelGro operates another route using vehicles developed by Pony.ai.
In September, Grab announced plans to increase its AV fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over six months. The company also intends to extend its services beyond Punggol.
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Pedestrian safety before expansion
Self-driving technology may offer new travel options, but its ability to handle unpredictable road situations matters most.
A vehicle can detect pedestrians and track their movements, yet someone can still step onto a crossing unexpectedly. The technology must respond safely when that happens.
Pausing tests at similar junctions while investigations continue is a safer step. Expanding the service should come only when both passengers and pedestrians can be safe around the AV technology.