LTA drops plan to trial driverless buses on 2 SBS Transit routes

Plans to deploy six driverless buses on two SBS Transit routes from mid-2026 have been dropped as authorities explore smaller-scale trials.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday (Oct 12) that the six autonomous buses will not be deployed on services 400 and 191.

In a reply to AsiaOne, an LTA spokesperson said the authority is taking a "phased and calibrated approach" towards the deployment of autonomous buses.

"We will no longer be deploying the six autonomous buses for SBST bus service routes 400 and 191," the spokesperson said.

LTA is exploring narrower use cases for autonomous buses serving targeted groups of commuters, such as employee shuttle services, before considering wider deployment on public bus services, which are more complex.

More details on the use cases and plans will be announced when ready, the spokesperson added.

First autonomous bus passes safety test

The LTA shared in March that the six driverless buses were expected to begin operating on services 400 and 191 in the second half of 2026, following safety testing.

All six autonomous buses have been delivered to Singapore, LTA said.

The first bus, which arrived in March 2026, passed the authority’s Milestone 1 (M1) Test in July 2026.

The closed-circuit test involves basic manoeuvres to ensure autonomous vehicles can navigate roads safely.

The remaining five buses are undergoing preparations for the M1 Test, LTA said.

The self-driving buses were originally slated to ply service 400 in Marina Bay and service 191 at one-north.

The 16-seater buses would have features similar to those on regular buses but would also be fitted with additional cameras and sensors at the front, rear and roof to provide 360-degree awareness of their surroundings.

Each bus would also have a wheelchair-accessible space near the door. Unlike regular buses, the driverless buses would have only one door.

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