The driverless taxi service would make Singapore one of the first countries in the world to offer such a service. The first trials will begin this year, following a partnership signed between the Singapore Land Transport Authority and two private companies, Delphi Automotive Systems and nuTonomy.
The shuttle taxis will be controlled by a microchip and will initially be used to complement existing means of transport on short city-centre journeys or to supplement a journey by public transport. According to the CEO of US start-up nuTonomy, Emilio Frazzoli, the service could begin in 2018 with a fleet of 78 vehicles.
Since 2014, NuTonomy has been involved in the development of an autonomous urban transport system set up by the Singapore authorities in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In Asia, Singapore has the third-highest percentage of public transport use. It is estimated at over 62%, well behind Hong Kong (93.3%) and Seoul (71.5%). With the development of innovative new technologies and the opening of new metro lines, Singapore is aiming for a public transport usage rate of 90% for all urban travel in the metropolis.
Delphi, the other start-up involved in a parallel project, plans to bring its vehicles into service by 2019, with a fleet of 40 to 50 units. All these future taxis will be electric, helping to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Tests of driverless vehicles will also be carried out on Sentosa Island, where Universal Studios is located, and for the Singapore Botanical Gardens "Gardens in the Bay". Particular attention will be paid to safety, to avoid potential accidents involving driverless vehicles.
For future users of autonomous taxis, this type of vehicle on the streets of Singapore could mean a drop in the average price of a journey, as there will no longer be any need to pay the driver himself, but simply for the technological service.
