LTA awards contract to deploy autonomous buses on 2 services

As part of the MOT and LTA's plans to pilot the use of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology, LTA has awarded a contract to a consortium of MKX Technologies Pte Ltd, Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd, and BYD (Singapore) Pte Ltd to pilot autonomous buses.

These buses will be piloted on public bus services 400 (Marina Bay) and 191 (one-north) for an initial period of three years, adding to the number of AVs being tested and deployed for public transport in Singapore. This pilot was started before recent efforts by MOT to test AVs in Punggol. This will also add to LTA's overall efforts to augment Singapore's public transport network and expand mobility options for commuters.

Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing), which has deployed autonomous buses in Chinese cities, will provide the autonomous vehicle software and hardware kit, as well as the fleet management and remote operations system. MKX will lead local research and development and project management efforts, while BYD (Singapore) will supply the electric buses.

For a start, LTA will procure six autonomous buses from the consortium. These buses will have features similar to existing public buses, including designated spaces and boarding/alighting ramps for wheelchair and personal mobility aid users, and strollers. During the initial phases of the pilot deployment, a safety operator will be on board at all times. LTA will also monitor the autonomous buses in real-time to ensure consistent self-driving performance and regulatory compliance.

From H2 2026, these 16-passenger seat autonomous buses will operate alongside existing manned buses as part of a hybrid fleet. Fares payable during this pilot will be the same as the public bus service.

Through this pilot deployment, LTA aims to assess the technical feasibility of AV technology for public bus services and gain insights into the operational aspects of running autonomous buses at both service and fleet levels. Following this deployment, LTA may procure up to 14 additional autonomous buses and expand the pilot to more public bus services.