Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On November 13, Chinese autonomous-driving developer WeRide and Southeast Asia's super-app Grab said they had received formal approval from Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) to conduct autonomous fleet trials in Punggol. The pilot will test vehicles under the jointly developed Ai.R (Autonomously Intelligent Ride) program, a key step toward deploying self-driving mobility services in the city-state.
The companies had already begun initial tests of WeRide's GXR robotaxi in Punggol in mid-October, marking Singapore's first trial of the vehicle. With the latest approval, WeRide and Grab intend to scale up the program significantly, aiming to quadruple the number of trial runs on designated feeder routes by the end of 2025.
The Ai.R initiative is designed as a public-facing autonomous mobility service operated jointly by the two companies. The fleet includes 11 WeRide vehicles — 10 GXR robotaxis with seating for five and a single Robobus shuttle that can carry up to eight passengers. The current trial period is intended to validate performance and safety ahead of commercial launch. Once operational, Ai.R will run on two dedicated feeder routes within Punggol, with the first public riders expected in early 2026. This would make Punggol the first residential district in Singapore to host an autonomous shuttle service.
During road trials, the vehicles collect and analyze real-world traffic data to train their AI driving models for Singapore's local environment. This includes adapting to distinct traffic patterns, infrastructure layouts, and the nuanced behavior of drivers and pedestrians. The tests also expose the system to varied weather — such as sudden downpours or intense sunlight — to ensure consistent performance around the clock. Continuous refinement will focus on improving maneuvering precision, handling dense urban scenarios, and enabling smoother docking at pickup and drop-off points.
Both the GXR and Robobus models rely on a perception suite combining lidar and cameras, delivering 360-degree sensing with detection ranges up to 200 meters. The system is engineered to maintain obstacle recognition even in rain, enabling faster responses to potential hazards.
To ensure safety during testing and early public operations, each autonomous vehicle will be staffed with a trained safety operator monitoring system behavior in real time. WeRide and Grab's training arm, GrabAcademy, are jointly preparing this workforce. The first cohort — comprising more than ten Grab drivers transitioning into the new role — has completed classroom and closed-course instruction and has now begun on-road training.
