SINGAPORE: Driverless buses will appear on some roads in Singapore from 2022 as part of plans to improve mobility in the land-scarce city-state, its transport minister said on Wednesday.

Singapore has so far avoided the massive traffic jams that choke other Asian cities like Manila and Jakarta by imposing road tolls, spending massively on public transport and becoming one of the world’s most expensive places to own a car.

It now plans to embrace self-driving technology to further reduce reliance on cars and improve how people get around.

Driverless buses will be deployed during off-peak traffic hours in three new suburban towns designed to accommodate the vehicles in a pilot project, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

“The autonomous vehicles will greatly enhance the accessibility and connectivity of our public transport system, particularly for the elderly, families with young children, and the less mobile,” he said at the launch of a test centre for self-driving vehicles.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017