WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technology, announced that it will be deploying its GXRs and Robobus vehicles in Singapore as part of Ai.R, Grab’s first autonomous vehicle (AV) service for Singapore consumers. Ai.R, short for Autonomously Intelligent Ride, will be operated by Grab, a leading super app in Southeast Asia, in partnership with WeRide.
Selected by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for Singapore’s first autonomous shuttle service in a residential neighbourhood, Ai.R will serve residents in Punggol along two designated routes. Ai.R is the only service selected to run on two routes in Punggol, and will start with a fleet of 11 vehicles.
Ai.R was unveiled to the public at the “Autonomous Shuttle in Punggol” event, organized by the Ministry of Transport and attended by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow, alongside Dr. Kerry Xu, General Manager of WeRide (Singapore). DPM Gan and Acting Minister Siow also experienced a GXR ride at Punggol Coast Mall.
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Both the five-seater WeRide GXR and eight-seater Robobus have passed Singapore’s stringent Milestone 1 (M1) assessment, making them the first autonomous vehicles designated for Punggol to attain this certification. The M1 assessment verifies the vehicles’ ability to operate safely on public roads in autonomous mode in accordance with Singapore’s traffic rules.
There will also be a trained Grab Safety Operator onboard every Ai.R ride in the initial phase. These Safety Operators are experienced Grab private-hire and taxi driver-partners with strong safety records and driver ratings. Training has been underway since August, conducted by GrabAcademy and WeRide.
“We are deploying our GXRs for the first time in Singapore and Southeast Asia, marking a regional milestone in urban transportation. This paves the way for WeRide to extend GXR passenger services to more communities. By integrating our AVs with the public transport network, WeRide aims to provide Singapore residents with a smarter, more seamless travel experience,” said Jennifer Li, CFO and Head of International of WeRide.
“We see the potential of autonomous vehicles to improve connectivity within underserved neighbourhoods in the near term. Together with our AV partners like WeRide, we are building a leading AV passenger fleet with a diverse range of vehicle models, to bring more transport options to the public,” said Alex Hungate, President and Chief Operating Officer of Grab.
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire