Singapore takes the wheel in self-driving car technology
Self-driving cars are picking up speed in the Lion City, with tests of the latest in driverless technology scheduled for next month
While Formula One fans pack their earplugs for next month’s Singapore Grand Prix, automotive geeks are watching the Lion City’s “other” track, at one-north, a 200-hectare hi-tech hub about 10km west of the Marina Bay Circuit. This is where the statutory Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) – which seems to be expanding as Asia’s go-to government body for automotive technological development partnerships – tests autonomous vehicles (AV).
The LTA first offered 6km of test routes in one-north in July 2015, and then doubled them, a year later. “Since then, the AV trial participants have demonstrated a readiness to advance their capabilities to more on-road scenarios in an expanded test area,” the authority says.
On June 23, the LTA expanded its AV test bed “to neighbouring areas such as the National University of Singapore, Singapore Science Parks 1 and 2, Dover and Buona Vista”, creating “another 55km to the existing AV trial routes”, the LTA adds, “to allow AV trial participants to experience more on-road scenarios which will help accelerate technology development”.