Grab has collaborated with Korean autonomous vehicle manufacturer Autonomous A2Z to trial autonomous electronic shuttle buses for Grab employees to and from its one-north office and the train station.
The electric shuttle bus, retrofitted with A2Z’s software and hardware and Grab’s IoT devices, will begin operations on July 9. The group says that a trained safety driver will be present onboard at all times.
Grab says that the autonomous shuttle has undergone 100 hours of training on the 3.9km route connecting Grab’s office and the MRT station. This process includes data acquisition, data annotation, algorithm training, and on-route testing.
The shuttle is equipped with 11 sensors, with a 360-degree view of its surroundings. A2Z operates South Korea’s largest fleet of autonomous vehicles and holds the longest cumulative autonomous driving record in urban environments. It is the first Korean enterprise licensed for autonomous driving in right-hand-drive markets like Singapore.
Yee Wee Tang, Grab's regional head of operations says that safety is Grab’s top priority. "We are committed to taking a cautious and calibrated approach to autonomous technology pilots. Through this initiative, we are evaluating the safety performance of autonomous technologies and exploring the potential new job opportunities this sector could create," he adds.
“This pilot marks A2Z’s first deployment of autonomous technology in Singapore. We have been collaborating closely with Grab, the Land Transport Authority, and local safety drivers to prepare the autonomous shuttle for Singapore’s unique transport environment," says Ryan (Ho Jin) Kim, managing director, business and international, A2Z.
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"The pilot will enable us to better assess the commercial viability of autonomous shuttles in addressing first- and last-mile commute challenges while exploring their potential to alleviate manpower shortages in the public transport sector. A2Z and Grab look forward to sharing our insights and findings with the government to support Singapore’s broader autonomous vehicle ambitions,” adds Kim.
According to Grab, via this pilot, it also aims to explore how Singaporeans including platform workers can upskill and transition into emerging roles within the autonomous vehicle sector, while studying the potential higher-value career pathways that could arise as autonomous technologies evolve.
Grab plans to train up to 10 safety drivers by the end of the year. Five drivers including one GrabTaxi driver-partner, two GrabCar driver-partners, and two drivers from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association are currently undergoing training.
Shares in Grab closed 10 US cents higher or 2.05% up at US$4.97 on July 8.
