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A high-level delegation from Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT), led by Acting Minister for Transport Mr. Jeffrey Siow, visited the Guangzhou headquarters of WeRide. The visit highlights the growing partnership aimed at integrating autonomous vehicle (AV) technology into Singapore’s public transportation network. The discussions focused on leveraging WeRide’s expertise to address the nation’s evolving mobility needs.
Key Highlights
- Singapore will deploy autonomous vehicles in its public housing estates by the end of 2025, starting with Punggol and expanding to Tengah.
- The initiative aims to combat an aging population and labor shortages by using AVs for services like night buses and feeder routes.
- WeRide’s Robobus and Robosweeper are already operational in Singapore, with the Robobus completing a year of safe operations at Resorts World Sentosa.
- The partnership between Singapore and WeRide signifies a shared commitment to advancing AV research, development, and commercialization.
Integrating AVs into Public Transport
In a significant announcement, Mr. Siow confirmed that Singapore will deploy AVs in public housing estates by the end of 2025. This strategic move will see autonomous vehicles become an integral part of the national public transport system. The initial phase will be rolled out in Punggol, with subsequent expansion planned for the “car-lite” town of Tengah.
The push for autonomous mobility is a direct response to Singapore’s demographic challenges, including an aging population and labor shortages. Autonomous solutions like the Robobus and Robotaxi are viewed as practical and scalable methods to enhance connectivity. Minister Siow explained that AVs can alleviate manpower constraints, particularly for services that are difficult to operate, such as night buses and feeder routes. Public transport operators are actively partnering with companies like WeRide to facilitate this transition.
Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation
During the visit, the Singaporean delegation, which included senior transport officials and union leaders, engaged in detailed discussions with WeRide’s leadership, including Founder and CEO Tony Han. The conversations reaffirmed a mutual goal to deepen collaboration in autonomous driving R&D and commercialization. This aligns with Singapore’s five-year vision to accelerate the adoption of AV technology. To gain firsthand experience, the delegation also rode in WeRide’s Robobus and Robotaxi, observing how these vehicles can meet real-world transportation demands.
WeRide has already established a significant presence in Singapore’s AV landscape, offering a wide array of commercial use cases. Since June 2024, the WeRide Robobus at Resorts World Sentosa has successfully completed a year of safe operations. Furthermore, in November 2024, the company launched the nation’s first commercial autonomous sanitation project with its Robosweeper S6 and S1. This deployment followed WeRide’s swift acquisition of M1 and T1 licenses from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Looking forward, WeRide plans to expand its partnerships with local regulators and stakeholders to introduce more validated and scalable business models across Singapore. The company remains committed to collaborating with forward-thinking governments globally to develop intelligent and sustainable transport systems for modern cities.
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