Taxi, private hire drivers to get help taking up jobs in driverless vehicle industry

Taxi and private hire drivers will receive targeted support to upskill and retain their jobs as driverless technologies reshape Singapore's transport sector, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling.

While technology is key to advancing Singapore's transport ambitions, people will always remain at the heart of transport, said Sun while speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (July 7).

"We recognise that autonomy and AI, if not managed well, can bring disruption to existing jobs, industries and business models," she said, referencing Singapore's recent introduction of driverless shuttles and public buses.

"We will not adopt technology blindly."

The Government will subsequently be introducing a manpower transition package to empower drivers and equip them to seize new job opportunities, as driverless technologies continue to transform the industry.

In particular, the driver support package will focus on three main areas: career conversion, training incentives and career guidance.

"The package has been designed to offer drivers practical, accessible support that meets them where they are," said the transport ministry in a statement on Tuesday.

Career Conversion Programmes to launch in Q3

Drivers drivers looking to transition into new roles can look forward to Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) which will be launched in the third quarter of 2026.

For example, there will be a CCP conducted by GrabAcademy — Grab's training arm — for drivers looking to become autonomous vehicle (AV) specialists.

It will equip drivers with industry-relevant technical and operational skills for roles in the AV sector, such as safety operators, remote operators and fleet management positions.

The CCPs will be offered by Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), and participants will also be offered employment before their programme starts, said Sun.

During the reskilling period, CCPs will provide employers with up to 90 per cent salary support, said the Ministry of Transport (MOT), Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Grab and ComfortDelGro said in their joint statement.

Training incentive scheme in 2027

MOT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will also pilot a new training incentive scheme featuring short-form courses from January 2027.

Eligible drivers can choose from around 2,000 eligible SWDA-supported courses to attend and receive a training incentive of $20 per hour.

According to Sun, there will be a cap of 80 hours — up to $1,600 per driver — during the three-year pilot period.

"Drivers can tap on this incentive to acquire new skills before committing to longer-term programmes such as the career conversion programmes," Sun said, adding that the training incentive will help defray some of the vehicle rental fees and income foregone while drivers undergo training.

The Government and NTUC will also step up outreach and career guidance efforts with a new one-stop webpage on SWDA’s website featuring relevant information and resources curated for drivers.

Widespread AV adoption still 'some time away': Sun

Sun emphasised that AV deployment will be gradual process, so that commuters and drivers will have time to adapt.

"Technology's worth lies in the problems it solves and the lives it improves," she said, adding that the use of autonomy and AI will be rolled out at a pace acceptable to residents, commuters and drivers.

She explained that autonomous technologies are still relatively new, especially with AV public bus technology which "not as mature" compared to that of AV cars.

"Widespread adoption is still some time away," Sun said, highlighting that new job opportunities will also emerge with enhanced automation.

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