Sectors & markets
Grab trials an on-demand autonomous vehicle service
- Date: 1 September 2026
- Zone: ASEAN-O
- Country: Singapore
- Name of the sector universe concerned: ITS - Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Name of the sub-sectors concerned: Urban Mobility
- Section: Market trends
- Theme: Autonomous Vehicles
- Title: Grab trials an on-demand autonomous vehicle service
Grab will launch an on-demand autonomous vehicle (AV) service in Punggol. Users will be able to book a direct trip between pick-up and drop-off points already served by its shuttles. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) unveiled the scheme on 29 July 2026: instead of following a fixed route, the vehicle will take the most direct path between the two chosen points.
The service will open to test users in the coming months, then gradually to the public in the fourth quarter of 2026, with commercial fares applied. It is intended to connect residential areas to key amenities: clinics, markets, schools and transport hubs such as Punggol Coast MRT station.
The project responds to surveys carried out. As of 12 July 2026, more than 11,500 unique users had ridden the autonomous shuttles; 99% of the roughly 900 people surveyed said they felt confident and were willing to recommend them.
The fixed-route shuttles will remain free and will continue to operate in parallel. The LTA is also working with ComfortDelGro, which is also present in Punggol, and will add connection points based on feedback. Grab has also opened an AV depot in Punggol and will expand its fleet this year. Trialled since September 2025 and opened to the public on 1 April 2026, these shuttles could be extended to other neighbourhoods if the trial proves successful.
- Source: “Daphne Yow, 17/08/2026, Channel News Asia”
- URL Link: "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/grab-demand-autonomous-vehicle-punngol-pilot-6285571"
