Grab sees potential in self-driving cars for less popular routes in future

It'll take years to be rolled out on big scale, says S'pore head; 2025 focus is on reliability, safety and inclusivity

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan Correspondent

Grab is open to using autonomous vehicles (AVs) to "fill the gaps" in its ride-hailing service, such as on routes that are less popular with drivers, said the technology company's Singapore head.

But it will take "many, many years" before AVs, or self-driving cars, can be rolled out in Singapore "on a big scale", Mr Yee Wee Tang, managing director of Grab Singapore, told The Straits Times in a wide-ranging interview on Feb 21. "It's very early days for us."

Mr Yee said Grab is thinking about how AVs can complement its pool of drivers. "For example, are there certain routes that drivers just don't like?"

Noting that Grab cannot currently say "I have reliable service" in certain areas, such as at the Singapore Zoo in Mandai, he added: "So there are certain routes where AVs can fill the gap — and we are trying to see whether that's possible."

On Feb 20, Grab chief executive Anthony Tan said in an earnings call that the firm is in "active discussions" with regulators and potential partners to adopt AVs. Grab Singapore did not confirm whether it is in talks with the Land Transport Authority about AVs.

This is not the first time that Grab has tested the waters when it comes to AVs. In 2016, the firm partnered start-up nuTonomy for a two-month trial of an on-demand driverless car service for a select group of Grab users.

As for Grab's 2023 bid to purchase taxi operator Trans-Cab, which was called off in 2024, Mr Yee said: "It's a shame that the deal didn't go through."

He added: "We really felt that Grab could have played a role, in terms of (introducing) more technology into the taxi industry. On top of that, Trans-Cab also had very good assets."

The proposed buyout by Grab's car-rental arm GrabRentals would have seen it take over Trans-Cab's 2,000 taxis and more than 300 private-hire vehicles, as well as the taxi operator's vehicle workshop and fuel-pump operations.