Singapore has moved a step closer to a driverless public transport network with the launch of a new trial of self-driving buses.

Singapore has become a testbed for self-driving vehicles
Singapore has become a testbed for self-driving vehicles AFP / Roslan RAHMAN

Orderly and high-tech, the Asian city-state has become a testbed for self-driving vehicles and has developed home-grown technology while inviting foreign companies to trial their own.

In a three-month trial launched this week, passengers can book a bus ride through an app that takes them around Singapore's Science Park, a high-tech business hub, during off-peak hours.

Passengers can book a seat on one of the self-driving buses through an app
Passengers can book a seat on one of the self-driving buses through an app AFP / Roslan RAHMAN

The charge is just Sg$0.20 ($0.15).

It is not the first self-driving bus trial in the city but is the first to charge a fee.

Singapore has moved a step closer to a driverless public transport network with the launch of a new trial of self-driving buses.Orderly and high-tech, the Asian city-state has become a testbed for self-driving vehicles and has developed home-grown techn
Singapore has moved a step closer to a driverless public transport network with the launch of a new trial of self-driving buses.Orderly and high-tech, the Asian city-state has become a testbed for self-driving vehicles and has developed home-grown technology while inviting foreign companies to trial their own. AFPTV / Catherine LAI

Singapore's first trial of self-driving buses came in 2015, while a trial of driverless road sweepers was launched earlier this year.

Despite the technology on the buses, a driver is still at the wheel to take control if necessary and must drive the bus manually along part of the route.

Khor Jing Qian, a 23-year-old student who took the bus to attend a scholarship interview on Wednesday, said the journey, which took about 10 minutes, was "convenient and easy".

The shuttles are also operating in another area of the city on a fixed schedule as part of the same trial, according to a statement from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Robotics