LTA Autonomous Bus Pilot

On 2 October 2025, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the award for the contract on the Pilot Deployment of Autonomous Buses on Public Bus Services to a consortium of MKX Technologies Pte Ltd, Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd and BYD (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

The three-year pilot was intended to evaluate the technical feasibility of autonomous buses and gain operational insights. An initial fleet of 6 buses procured was planned for deployment on Services 191 and 400 as part of the trial, starting in mid-2026.

In response to queries from Lianhe Zaobao in October 2026, LTA confirmed that the planned autonomous bus deployments on Services 191 and 400 would no longer proceed. LTA is exploring alternative applications for the buses, including employee shuttle services. Further details will be announced when ready.

Tendering Phase

The pilot programme was tendered under Contract PT832 – Pilot Deployment of Autonomous Buses on Public Bus Services.

LTA published the open tender as a Request for Proposal on 27 January 2025. The tender closed on 9 June 2025, following an extension from the original closing date of 1 April 2025.

Proposal Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

Tenderers were required to include the following in their proposals:

• Proposed Bus Models: Specifications and details of the autonomous buses to be deployed, which must have at least 16 seats
• Fleet Management and Remote Operations Systems
• Electric Charging Infrastructure
• Hardware and Software for AV Operations
• Associated maintenance & support services

LTA evaluated the proposals based on:

• Maturity of the AV technology proposed
• AV developer’s track record in local and/or overseas deployments
• Capability to meet the operational needs of public bus services
• Comprehensiveness of the proposed supporting infrastructure (such as AV fleet management and charging systems)

Tenderers & Award

As of tender closing date on 9 June 2025, 4 bids were submitted.

Note:

• Bid prices & shortlist from Government Procurement Site GeBIZ
• Consortium companies as per an article published on The Straits Times in June 2025

On 2 October 2025, LTA announced that the contract was awarded to the consortium comprising of MKX Technologies, Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing) and BYD (Singapore) for a sum of around S$8.14 million, which aligns with the tender price submitted for Package A by the consortium, according to the government procurement site GeBIZ.

The roles of the companies that make up consortium for this contract were also announced during the contract award. These are:

• MKX Technologies
  – Lead local research and development (R&D)
  – Lead project management efforts
• Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing)
  – Provide the autonomous vehicle software & hardware kit such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) and cameras
  – Provide fleet management and remote operations systems
• BYD (Singapore)
  – Supply of electric buses

Bus Procurement

Artist Impressions of the Autonomous BYD Bus (Image: LTA)

BYD B70A02 on the roads

6 autonomous buses from BYD (BYD B70A02) were procured under Contract PT832.

These buses have features similar to existing public buses, including designated spaces and boarding/alighting ramps for wheelchair and personal mobility aid users, and strollers.

Under the original pilot plans, LTA may purchase up to 14 additional autonomous buses to expand the deployment to two more bus routes. This phased approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility and reliability of AV technology while ensuring public safety.

Pilot Deployment Plans

Original Deployment Plans (2025)

The following outlines LTA’s original plans for deploying autonomous public buses on Services 191 and 400, as announced in 2025. These deployments did not proceed, with LTA confirming their cancellation in October 2026 in response to queries from Lianhe Zaobao.

Bus Services

LTA originally identified the following bus services for the deployment of Autonomous Public Buses:

Deployment of autonomous buses was planned to commence with Service 400, followed by Service 191. These services were selected for their relatively short and simple routes. The one-north area was also an existing autonomous vehicle test-bed, where AV trials had been conducted since 2019.

The appointed consortium was expected to work closely with SBS Transit, the operator of Services 191 and 400, to develop operational concepts and plans for operating the autonomous public buses.

Operations

The pilot deployment was originally scheduled to commence in mid-2026 for a period of three years, with the commencement subsequently revised to the second half of 2026 following the contract award in October 2025.

The six autonomous buses were intended to operate alongside conventional buses, while meeting public bus operational requirements, including safe boarding and alighting at designated bus stops.

Pre-Deployment Phase

Before commencing the pilot, LTA will conduct rigorous testing to ensure that the autonomous buses meet safety and operating requirements, including LTA’s AV Milestone 1 test and assessment of the buses’ capabilities to perform safe boarding and alighting at all designated stops.

Initial Phase

Under the original plans, these 16-passenger seat autonomous buses will operate alongside existing manned buses as part of a hybrid fleet from the second half of 2026. Fares payable during this pilot will be the same as the public bus service.

During the initial phases of the pilot deployment, a safety operator will be on board at all times. LTA will monitor the autonomous buses in real-time to ensure consistent self-driving performance and regulatory compliance. LTA also mandates additional safeguards, such as requiring all passengers to remain seated and wear seatbelts.

The bus operator, SBS Transit Ltd, will also take into account commuters’ feedback to review and improve autonomous bus operations.

Next Phase

After the autonomous bus has demonstrated its capabilities to operate smoothly and safely, it will progress to the next phase where a remote operator will monitor the operation continuously in a remote control centre. In place of an onboard safety operator; a customer service officer will be deployed onboard to assist commuters.

Deployment Developments (2026)

In March 2026, the first BYD B70A02 autonomous bus arrived in Singapore. LTA subsequently reiterated its plans to commence passenger operations on Services 400 and 191 in the second half of 2026.

In July 2026, the first autonomous bus passed LTA’s Milestone 1 (M1) assessment. By October 2026, all six buses had arrived in Singapore, although only one had obtained M1 certification. The remaining five buses were still being prepared for their respective assessments.

On 12 October 2026, Lianhe Zaobao reported that LTA had confirmed, in response to the newspaper’s queries, that the planned autonomous bus deployments on Services 400 and 191 would no longer proceed.

LTA indicated that it was adopting a phased and calibrated approach towards autonomous bus deployment, and was exploring more targeted applications, including employee shuttle services. Wider deployment on more complex public bus services would only be considered thereafter, with further details to be announced when ready.

References

• Request for Proposals for the Pilot Deployment of Autonomous Buses for Public Bus Services – Land Transport Authority
• China’s WeRide, Malaysia’s Causeway Link among firms bidding to run driverless public buses in S’pore – The Straits Times
• LTA Awards Contract for the Pilot Deployment of Autonomous Buses on Two Public Bus Services – Land Transport Authority [2 Oct 2025]
• 原定在两巴士路线部署 自驾公共巴士试行计划喊停 – Lianhe Zaobao [12 Oct 2026]

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