Grab, the largest ride-hailing operator in Singapore, plans to increase its autonomous vehicle fleet in the country from 10 vehicles to 50 over the next six months.
Self-driving shuttle services have been deployed in Punggol, and any expansion beyond this area would be subject to regulatory approval, Grab said Monday in a statement.
The company said it was working with the Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority to expand autonomous vehicle service coverage within Punggol.
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Grab’s autonomous shuttle service in Punggol, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Grab |
Providing an update on its Punggol autonomous shuttle service, the company said its fleet has logged more than 110,000 kilometers of autonomous driving on public roads.
The service has so far reached more than 12,000 unique users, while another 1,000 people remain on the waitlist, according to Grab.
Grab launched its free autonomous vehicle public ride service on April 1, initially operating on two of three planned routes in Punggol.
Grab President and Chief Operating Officer Alex Hungate said the company will continue to develop and build on the service by responding to direct feedback from the community and leveraging data and technology from its ride-hailing business.
He also reiterated Grab’s assurance that autonomous vehicles will be introduced in a way that complements its existing driver network while creating new career opportunities for its driver partners.
The Nasdaq-listed company ultimately plans to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles across Southeast Asia by 2030.