In March 2026, the first of six autonomous public buses arrived in Singapore, signalling the start of the Land Transport Authority's most ambitious driverless transport project to date. The buses will operate on two existing public routes: Service 400 through the Marina Bay and Shenton Way corridor, and Service 191 within the one-north business park district.
Contract and Consortium Details
LTA awarded the $8.14 million contract in October 2025 to a consortium comprising three companies:
- MKX Technologies — lead integrator handling autonomous driving systems and fleet operations management
- Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing) — provider of the AV software stack with deployment experience in Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin
- BYD (Singapore) — manufacturer of the 16-seat electric bus platform
The consortium was selected following a request for proposals issued in January 2025, with submissions due in Q2 and the award finalised by year-end. According to LTA, the consortium's track record of deploying autonomous buses on public roads in multiple Chinese cities was a deciding factor.
Route Specifications
Service 400 — Marina Bay / Shenton Way
This route serves several high-traffic nodes including Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Gardens by the Bay, and connects to both Shenton Way and Downtown MRT stations. The route's combination of wide arterial roads and tourist-area pedestrian crossings provides a range of operating conditions for the autonomous driving system.
Service 191 — One-North
Covering the one-north business park area, this service connects to one-north MRT station, Buona Vista MRT station, and Buona Vista bus terminal. One-north has been the primary AV test bed since 2015, making it a logical choice for the first public deployment given the extensive sensor mapping and road data already accumulated.
Vehicle Technology
Each bus carries 16 seated passengers and is equipped with a multi-sensor perception system including cameras, LiDAR, and radar providing 360-degree environmental awareness. The buses are fully electric, aligning with Singapore's broader Green Plan 2030 transport decarbonisation goals.
All passengers are required to be seated with seatbelts fastened during autonomous operations, a regulation stipulated in LTA's request for proposals.
Safety Framework and Phased Rollout
Before any bus carries passengers, the vehicles must complete:
- Closed-circuit assessments at the CETRAN test centre in Jurong Innovation District
- LTA's AV Milestone 1 evaluation covering obstacle detection, lane-keeping, and emergency stopping
- Assessment of safe boarding and alighting procedures for passengers
During the initial deployment phase, each bus will have a bus captain on board serving as safety operator. LTA will conduct real-time monitoring of all vehicles from a central operations room. Operators must demonstrate at least six months of reliable autonomous operation before the system transitions to remote safety operators only.
Expansion Potential
The initial three-year pilot contract includes a provision for LTA to procure up to 14 additional buses and expand to two more public routes if the first six vehicles demonstrate consistent performance. This means the autonomous bus fleet could grow to 20 vehicles across four routes within the pilot period.
Key Reference
LTA press release, October 2025: LTA Awards Contract for the Pilot Deployment of Autonomous Buses on Two Public Bus Services
Operational Context
Singapore views autonomous buses as a response to two converging pressures: an ageing population that increases demand for accessible public transport, and a tightening labour market that makes it harder to recruit bus captains. LTA's approach is to deploy AVs alongside existing manned services, treating the technology as an augmentation rather than replacement of the human-operated fleet.
The autonomous buses will operate during specified hours and under defined weather conditions during the pilot. Full-service integration into the broader public transport network, including fare collection via SimplyGo, is planned for the second year of the pilot.