Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Chee Hong Tat to Parliamentary Question on Progress of Autonomous Vehicle Development

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether he can provide an update on how many Autonomous Vehicles (AV) have passed Milestone 1 and 2 tests respectively; and 

b.     whether AV development in Singapore is progressing as planned, particularly for autonomous public transport.

Reply by Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Chee Hong Tat:

1.     As of 27 January 2023, 43 autonomous vehicles (AVs) have passed LTA’s Milestone 1 test and 1 AV has passed LTA’s Milestone 2 test.

2.     The AV trials in Singapore which we had facilitated since 2014 have yielded important capability development in testing and certification, and an understanding of the operational requirements for the safe deployment of AVs alongside conventional motor vehicles. These trials have also informed us that the capabilities would need to be further developed for local operating conditions, particularly in public transport, before larger-scale deployment on our roads can be achieved. These include the perception and sensing capabilities of AVs under complex scenarios in our urban environment and during inclement weather conditions. AV companies would therefore have to undertake further research and development (R&D) and trials. LTA will continue to facilitate these efforts.