Singapore regulators directed ComfortDelGro to suspend autonomous vehicle U-turn testing in Punggol following a near-accident on Nov 5.
The Land Transport Authority stated that an autonomous vehicle operated by ComfortDelGro nearly collided with another vehicle at a traffic junction in Punggol Field. A dashcam video posted on Facebook on Nov 8 showed the vehicle stopped behind the stop line before turning into the path of an oncoming car. Both vehicles slowed down to avoid a crash, according to the video footage.
The incident occurred while ComfortDelGro was testing a route intended for an enhanced on-demand service. That route sits outside the company’s existing shuttle route, according to a Land Transport Authority spokesperson. Michael Huang, head of Singapore point-to-point mobility business at Zig by ComfortDelGro, said the company is looking into the matter with its autonomous vehicle technology partner and regulators.
Did You Know? ComfortDelGro operates its autonomous vehicle routes using vehicles manufactured by the Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai.
The suspension followed a separate near-accident on the same day involving a Grab autonomous vehicle and a young girl in Punggol. Regulators directed Grab to pause testing at certain junctions after that incident, which happened at approximately 8:11am on Nov 5 near Punggol Field Walk. Preliminary data indicated that the Grab vehicle detected two pedestrians and tracked their movements before making a left turn, according to the Land Transport Authority.
Regulators are investigating both Nov 5 incidents and have not announced a timeline for resuming suspended tests. ComfortDelGro and Grab are assessing the circumstances of each event alongside their respective technology partners. Both operators continue to run their approved shuttle routes while targeted testing remains on pause.
Regulators directed a suspension of U-turn testing at a Punggol junction following a near-accident between a ComfortDelGro autonomous vehicle and another car on Nov 5.
ComfortDelGro uses vehicles made by Chinese firm Pony.ai, while Grab operates vehicles developed by autonomous driving company WeRide.
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