Punggol residents voice AV safety fears after near misses but back continued trials
Punggol residents expressed safety concerns after two near misses involving autonomous vehicles on 5 Nov, including a schoolgirl nearly hit by a Grab AV. Despite the incidents, most of the 12 residents interviewed by CNA support trials continuing once investigations are complete.
SINGAPORE: Residents of Punggol have raised safety concerns after two near misses involving autonomous vehicles (AVs) on Thursday (5 Nov), but told CNA they were open to trials continuing once the incidents are reviewed.
In one incident, a young girl crossing a road at a traffic junction was nearly hit by a Grab AV making a discretionary left turn. A separate dashcam video showed a ComfortDelGro (CDG) AV turning into the path of an approaching vehicle while attempting a U-turn at a junction in Punggol Field. Both vehicles were testing new routes for enhanced on-demand services rather than operating on existing fixed shuttle routes.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is investigating both incidents. It has directed Grab to pause testing at such junctions and told CDG to pause U-turns at the Punggol Field junction as a precaution. The incidents follow a January collision in which a ComfortDelGro AV hit a road divider; LTA found the safety officer had taken manual control of the vehicle at the time.
Parents of young children were particularly concerned. Mr Tan Kar Yeow, 46, a research engineer with children aged five and eight months, said he would have to keep a special lookout for AVs when crossing the road. He suggested industrial areas or university campuses with fewer young children may be more suitable for testing. Ms Nurul Farhah Zulkiflee, 28, who lives near the junction where the Grab AV nearly hit a schoolgirl, said she was shocked and did not want her niece or nephew involved in a similar incident.
Despite safety fears, most residents supported trials continuing. Mr Yang Lou, 59, a tutor, said testing must continue to uncover problems before a wider rollout, adding that such testing was essential. He noted that while a newer and less crowded town such as Tengah might be safer, it would not provide as realistic a test environment as Punggol. Mr Heng, 29, who works in healthcare, said he took pride in Punggol being at the forefront of innovation and supported a brief, targeted safety pause, but cautioned that Singapore should not overreact at the first sign of trouble.
As of 3 Nov, 15 passenger AVs were operating in Punggol, according to the Ministry of Transport. Grab's self-driving shuttle service, operated with WeRide, opened to the public on 1 Apr after trials began in September 2025. The ComfortDelGro shuttles, operated with Pony.ai, launched in June 2026. In LTA's post-ride surveys in July, 99 per cent of about 900 respondents said they felt safe during their ride and would recommend it to others. As of September, Grab's AV fleet had travelled more than 110,000 km autonomously and served over 12,000 unique riders, while CDG's Zig Driverless service has crossed 10,000 rides in Punggol.
