LTA Directs ComfortDelGro to Suspend AV U-Turn Testing in Punggol

“We take safety seriously and will assess the circumstances thoroughly,” Michael Huang stated after Singapore regulators stepped into an autonomous vehicle trial.

ComfortDelGro has been directed to suspend testing of U-turns for its autonomous vehicles at a traffic junction in Punggol following a near-accident on November 5, The Straits Times reported. The Land Transport Authority stated it is investigating the incident and has ordered ComfortDelGro to pause the maneuvers as a precaution.

The directive arrived after a dashcam video was posted on Facebook on Nov 8. The footage shows a ComfortDelGro autonomous vehicle stopped behind a stop line at a junction in Punggol Field before starting to turn into the path of an approaching vehicle. Both drivers slowed down to avoid a collision, according to the video.

Michael Huang, head of the Singapore point-to-point mobility business at Zig by ComfortDelGro, said the company is reviewing the event alongside its technology partner and the transport authority. The autonomous vehicles deployed by ComfortDelGro are manufactured by Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai, and ply one of three designated test routes in Punggol.

The Land Transport Authority noted that the vehicle was operating on a route intended for an enhanced on-demand service rather than the company’s existing shuttle route. That testing route brought the vehicle into the junction where the near miss occurred.

This regulatory pause follows a separate incident on the same day. Grab was directed to halt testing at specific junctions in Punggol after one of its autonomous vehicles nearly struck a girl while making a left turn on Punggol Field Walk, close to the location of the ComfortDelGro incident, The Straits Times reported.

The Land Transport Authority is still investigating both incidents. Regulators have not specified when testing at the affected junctions will resume.