Preparations for introducing autonomous vehicles into public transport services in Singapore

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are self-driving vehicles that are capable of manoeuvring within the road networks without any human assistance. In recent years, governments and companies around the world have put in significant amount of funding and support in order to accelerate the progress of the technology. Singapore, in particular, has shown great interest in adopting AVs as part of the public mode of transport, specifically autonomous taxis. This push has been identified as a way to move Singapore towards becoming a car-lite society as autonomous taxis promise to further reduce car ownership without compromising passengers' convenience. Along with benefits, AVs will also bring challenges to the economy and transportation landscape. AVs will have major impacts on the job landscape, congestion and the current infrastructure. To better gauge the extent of the impacts, public perception of the implementation of AVs is explored. Recommendations are made on the back of these findings so as to maximise the benefits and minimise the costs of automation technology. Skills upgrading, demand management and infrastructure changes have been identified as preparatory measures for the introduction of autonomous taxis into the public transport service.Bachelor of Engineering (Civil