Self-driving shuttles to begin trials in Punggol as WeRide brings new vehicles to Singapore

Published on Authored by C to I News Desk

Singapore is preparing to take another step forward in autonomous transport, as self-driving shuttles are expected to begin operating in Punggol by the last quarter of 2025. This development follows the arrival of new five-seater autonomous vehicles from Chinese company WeRide.

WeRide Singapore
WeRide currently operates a self-driving eight-seater minibus at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. Photo courtesy: Screengrab

One of the new WeRide vehicles, called the GXR, was recently seen on a tow truck in Jalan Bahar on August 28, leading to confirmation from the company that the vehicles have reached Singapore, reports said. These GXRs are already in use as robotaxis in places like Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

The vehicles are likely to serve as community shuttles in Punggol, travelling on fixed routes to improve local connectivity. This matches plans shared in June by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, who said that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) aims to launch these autonomous services by the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2025.

WeRide, based in Guangzhou, China, now holds autonomous driving permits in six countries — China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the United States.

The company is working with Geely-owned Farizon, a Chinese commercial vehicle maker, to develop these vehicles for mass production.

In Singapore, WeRide is already operating a self-driving eight-seater minibus at Resorts World Sentosa. This service received approval in July to run without any safety personnel on board — marking a first for South-east Asia.

Partnerships with local and regional firms

A WeRide spokesperson, as quoted by The Straits Times, mentioned that the arrival of the new vehicles is part of a partnership with a “leading regional mobility provider”, without giving further details. The company had earlier signed an agreement with Grab in March, along with three other autonomous driving firms, to explore driverless transport options in South-east Asia.

On August 15, Grab announced a strategic investment in WeRide, though both firms declined to comment on whether this would affect their operations in Singapore specifically.

Besides WeRide, another Chinese firm, Pony.ai, is also in discussions with Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) about providing vehicles for the Punggol shuttle service. The company is currently working with ComfortDelGro on a robotaxi trial in Guangzhou.

ComfortDelGro is expected to bring similar trials to Singapore in collaboration with Pony.ai. Meanwhile, public transport operator SMRT, which invested in WeRide in 2022, is also planning to launch autonomous shuttle services in a local housing estate by early 2026.

Government planning phased rollout

Minister Siow and Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling visited Guangzhou in June to inspect the facilities of both WeRide and Pony.ai. During the visit, Siow said, “We may well be looking at bringing in MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) first,” explaining that the technology for self-driving cars is currently more advanced than for self-driving buses.

Sun, who is also the MP for Punggol GRC, mentioned that MOT is studying a few possible routes in Punggol for the initial phase. She noted that the plans take into account feedback from residents, who requested better links between the east and west of Punggol, and improved access to places like the polyclinic and bus interchange.

When launched, the autonomous shuttles will begin operating without passengers to allow time for residents and road users to get used to the new system. A safety officer will be present on board to intervene if necessary, though this role will later be taken over by a remote operator.