On June 29, 2025, Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport, Mr Jeffrey Siow, led a high-level delegation to WeRide’s headquarters in Guangzhou, signalling a significant deepening of collaboration between Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and the Chinese autonomous driving technology company. This visit underscored Singapore’s ambitious plans to integrate autonomous vehicles (AVs) into its public transport system, particularly within public housing estates, marking a pivotal step towards the city-state’s vision of smart, sustainable urban mobility.
Minister Siow announced that by the end of 2025, autonomous vehicles would be deployed in Singapore’s public housing estates, beginning with Punggol in the northeast and expanding to Tengah, a new “car-lite” town designed to prioritise sustainable transport. These AVs are expected to play a crucial role in addressing Singapore’s demographic challenges, such as an ageing population and labour shortages, by easing manpower constraints and enhancing transport services like night buses and feeder routes that are traditionally difficult to operate efficiently. The deployment aims to integrate these vehicles seamlessly into the national public transport network, enhancing connectivity and service reliability.
The delegation included notable figures such as Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling, along with leaders from various transport unions and key representatives from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The visit facilitated detailed discussions on WeRide’s cutting-edge technology, its ongoing operations in Singapore, and future deployment strategies, reaffirming a shared commitment to advance autonomous vehicle research, development, and commercialisation aligned with Singapore’s goal of accelerating AV adoption over the next five years.
WeRide, recognised globally as a leader in autonomous mobility solutions and named in Fortune Magazine’s 2024 “The Future 50” list, has an established presence in Singapore. Since June 2024, its Robobus has been operating safely within Resorts World Sentosa, connecting key locations such as Equarius Hotel and Hotel Michael. In a landmark move towards innovative urban management, WeRide launched Singapore’s first commercial autonomous sanitation project in November 2024 by deploying Robosweeper models S6 and S1 in prominent areas like Marina Coastal Drive and the Esplanade. These developments followed the company’s swift acquisition of M1 and T1 licences from the LTA, highlighting its compliance with Singapore’s stringent regulatory standards and capacity to integrate autonomous systems into the city’s smart ecosystem.
Further bolstering its local foothold, WeRide has entered a strategic cooperation with Singapore’s Chye Thiam Maintenance (CTM) to develop Level 4 autonomous RoboSweepers, aiming to scale this technology not only within Singapore but also internationally. This partnership reflects a broader move to harness autonomous technology not only for public mobility but also for urban maintenance and sanitation, showcasing versatile applications of AVs that contribute to a smarter, cleaner city environment.
While WeRide consolidates its position in Singapore’s evolving autonomous landscape, competition remains intense. The Land Transport Authority has also attracted bids from other companies, including Malaysia’s Causeway Link, for trials of driverless public bus services expected to commence in mid-2026. The impending tender awards and growing interest in autonomous public transport trials indicate a dynamic and competitive environment where multiple stakeholders are vying to shape the future of mobility in the city-state.
Despite these advancements, certain risks accompany the rapid adoption of autonomous vehicles. There is potential vulnerability arising from an over-reliance on government initiatives, should regulatory or political priorities shift. Additionally, WeRide has not publicly disclosed its financial performance amid its expansion, leaving questions about its economic sustainability as it scales operations.
In summary, Singapore’s partnership with WeRide marks a bold and strategic leap towards integrating autonomous vehicles into public housing estates and broader transport networks. By pioneering this approach in Punggol and Tengah, Singapore is set to address key demographic and operational challenges while fostering innovation in urban transport and sanitation. WeRide’s successful integration into Singapore’s regulatory framework and its multi-sectoral collaborations underscore its role as a key enabler in this transformation. However, the competitive landscape and regulatory dependencies prompt cautious optimism as the city-state charts this ambitious, technologically driven path forward.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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