Some of us may remember the driverless shuttle buses in Sentosa that got us around the island in air-conditioned cosiness.
If you’ve enjoyed this exciting convenience, you’d be happy to know that apart from Sentosa, these buses will be operating on the mainland for the first time, in Haw Par Villa and Jurong Island.
According to a press release by the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST), the autonomous bus services were launched at Singapore Science Park 2 near Haw Par Villa and Jurong Island yesterday (25 Jan).
For a small fee of $0.40 and $2 in the respective areas, you can hop onboard for a round trip, reports The Straits Times (ST).
The routes are currently limited, to assess whether the buses are viable for wider use in the future.
Here’s a map of the Science Park 2 route, which runs only on weekdays, from 10am – 5pm, shuttling to and from the nearby Haw Par Villa MRT station:
The Jurong Island route comprising 10 stops also operates on weekdays only, from 11.30am – 2pm:
Having this transportation available during lunch hours will ease workers’ commutes to Oasis @ SAKRA for their meals.
Both the above trial routes will last till 30 Apr.
Addressing the media at the official launch of the 2 routes on Monday (25 Jan), Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung spoke about the practical technology. ST quotes him as saying:
It is a very exciting technology that could possibly be applied to Housing and Development Board towns in the future.
According to ST, the autonomous buses, despite self-driving, have a bus captain at the wheel at all times. This is to ensure the safety of passengers onboard.
When the buses enter areas with higher traffic volume, such as the West Coast Highway, drivers will take over the wheel.
Since the buses operate on demand, keen passengers will have to book rides and pay in advance.
The Science Park 2 route is available for booking via the Zipster app, with a one-way ride costing 20 cents, reports Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
You can book via the SWATRide app for the longer Jurong Island route, with a one-day trip costing $1.
With this added convenience, workers in both areas will now have an alternative mode of transport to get around.
Singapore’s public transportation landscape is ever-evolving to meet the needs of a large consumer base.
Hopefully with more innovations like these, we’ll get to enjoy greater convenience and more efficient travel methods.
What are your thoughts on this new service? Let us know in the comments.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured images courtesy of the Ministry of Transport and Industry (MTI).
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