Grab, Southeast Asia’s popular superapp, has partnered with Korean tech company Autonomous A2Z to launch its first self-driving electric shuttle bus pilot in Singapore, as announced on Tuesday.
Grab said in a statement that the pilot aims to serve first- and last-mile commutes for Grab employees, connecting Grab’s one-north office with the nearby one-north Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station.
The electric shuttle bus is equipped with A2Z’s self-driving technology and Grab’s smart devices. It will start running tomorrow. A trained safety driver will always be on board to make sure passengers are safe and everything runs smoothly.
“Safety is Grab’s top priority, and we are committed to taking a cautious and calibrated approach to autonomous technology pilots,
“Through this initiative, we are evaluating the safety performance of autonomous technologies and exploring the potential new job opportunities this sector could create,” said Yee Wee Tang, Regional Head of Operations, Grab.
Ryan (Ho Jin) Kim, Managing Director – Business and International, A2Z, said this pilot marks A2Z’s first deployment of autonomous technology in Singapore.
He said the firm has been collaborating closely with Grab, the Land Transport Authority, and local safety drivers to prepare the autonomous shuttle for Singapore’s unique transport environment.
“The pilot will enable us to better assess the commercial viability of autonomous shuttles in addressing first- and last-mile commute challenges while exploring their potential to alleviate manpower shortages in the public transport sector,
“A2Z and Grab look forward to sharing our insights and findings with the government to support Singapore’s broader autonomous vehicle ambitions,” he added.
The self-driving shuttle has completed over 100 hours of testing on a fixed 3.9 km route between Grab’s office and the nearby MRT station.
Data collection: The shuttle gathers information about roads, traffic lights, lane markings, people, cars, and other obstacles.
Read more- What is Treasure NFT, Uses, Real or Fake, and Price
Data labeling: It then tags these objects with details like their size, speed, and direction.
Software training: The shuttle learns how to handle real-life situations, such as stopping at zebra crossings or traffic lights, making the ride smooth.
On-road testing: This helps the shuttle improve its route navigation and deal with unexpected things like blocked roads.
The self-driving shuttle bus uses 11 sensors, including LiDAR, radar, and cameras, to get a full 360-degree view of its surroundings. This helps it spot and safely move around new objects or sudden obstacles.
If the shuttle detects any problem with its systems or sensors, a safety feature will automatically stop the bus safely.
A2Z has a strong safety record in South Korea, with over 668,000 km of safe driving from 2020 to May 2025.
Grab is using this pilot also to explore how people in Singapore, including platform workers, can learn new skills and move into new jobs in the self-driving vehicle industry. Grab plans to train up to 10 safety drivers this year.
So far, five drivers are being trained – one GrabTaxi driver, two GrabCar drivers, and two drivers from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association.
The shuttle will run for two hours each day during non-busy hours, and more time will be used for training.
Grab and A2Z will watch how the shuttle performs and how safe it is before adding more rides.
Grab staff can check the shuttle schedule, its location, and later even seat availability using the Grab app. Inside the shuttle, KartaDashcam devices will count passengers and show live images of the bus’s location.
Grab said the firm looks forward to participating in more autonomous pilots to understand the operational conditions for different autonomous vehicle services in Singapore, and be part of the nation’s efforts to improve transport connectivity through autonomous technologies.
Read more- Petronas Partners with State Government for Sabah’s to Boost Sustainable Energy Growth
