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LTA directs Grab to pause some AV testing after near miss with schoolgirl in Punggol

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The incident took place at approximately 8:11 a.m. on Thursday while the autonomous car navigated a newly planned service route in Punggol. Sensor data revealed the vehicle detected two pedestrians, started turning on a green light, and engaged automatic evasion before an on-board safety driver intervened. Regulators are now reviewing whether system responses need recalibration before allowing trials to resume at similar intersections. Grab is conducting the inquiry alongside technology partner WeRide while continuing preparations for broader commercial deployment.

Key points

  • Regulators have temporarily suspended autonomous testing at specific intersections while…: Regulators have temporarily suspended autonomous testing at specific intersections while investigating software responses to unexpected pedestrian crossings.
  • Grab is conducting a joint review with partner WeRide and transport authorities to ensure…: Grab is conducting a joint review with partner WeRide and transport authorities to ensure safety protocols are sufficient.
  • The regulatory pause comes amid preparations to scale the platform's point-to-point auton…: The regulatory pause comes amid preparations to scale the platform's point-to-point autonomous vehicle services into other areas of Singapore.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The Land Transport Authority said the vehicle involved was testing a new route in preparation for Grab's enhanced on-demand travel service in Punggol.

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has directed Grab to pause autonomous vehicle (AV) testing at some junctions after one of its vehicles nearly hit a schoolgirl while making a left turn in Punggol.

LTA said on Friday (Nov 6) that it was informed of the incident a day earlier and is investigating.

Preliminary data showed that the vehicle had detected two pedestrians and was continuously tracking their movements, LTA said.

After the traffic light turned green, the vehicle began making a left turn. The pedestrians were initially stationary, but when the child began crossing the road, the vehicle started braking and steered to the right, according to LTA.

The safety operator on board then took control of the vehicle and continued braking and steering it away from the pedestrian, the authority added.

It has directed Grab to pause testing at such junctions until investigations are completed and said it would review whether the response to such…

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