Questions to be addressed as push for driverless vehicles here gains speed

Openness about regulations and safety will help to build trust in nascent technology

- Kok Yufeng

During a two-day visit to Guangzhou in late June, a delegation led by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow got a glimpse of what transportation could look like in Singapore in the coming years.

Ushered into Toyota Siennas fitted with low-profile cameras and light detection and ranging sensors, the contingent of government officials and union representatives was taken on a ride through the streets of Nansha district at the southern tip of the Chinese port city.

This is where robotaxi company Pony.AI has been operating commercially since 2022.

Peeling out of the company's operations centre into moderate traffic, the minivans drove at the speed limit of 60kmh and navigated a number of complex intersections with ease—switching lanes and overtaking other vehicles, all without a driver or a safety operator on board.

Later, in an interview with Singapore media—who were invited to join the delegation on the trip—ComfortDelGro group chief executive Cheng Siak Kian said self-driving technology has improved by leaps and bounds.

"You will quickly forget that you are in a vehicle that has got no driver inside," he said.

His words rang true for this reporter, who had the chance to ride in Pony.AI's vehicle, as well as a self-driving minibus operated by the Guangzhou Public Transport Group and supplied by Chinese firm WeRide.

There was some novelty in seeing an empty driver's seat and a steering wheel turn on its own. In WeRide's case, there was no steering wheel at all.

The smooth rides meant there was hardly any trepidation.

"Seeing is believing," said Pony.AI's chief executive James Peng.

Like it or not, the driverless future is upon us.

But even as the technology has matured, it has raised important questions to which there are no easy answers.