Autonomous shuttle almost hits oncoming vehicle in Punggol Field while making left turn

An autonomous shuttle had a near miss in Punggol Field when it nearly hit an oncoming vehicle while making a left turn.

Based on a Facebook post by Facebook group SG Road Vigilante, the incident took place at about 10am on Nov. 5.

Almost crashed

According to the video, a vehicle was driving on the left lane of a two-lane road when an autonomous shuttle failed to give way to the oncoming vehicle.

The incident was captured on the oncoming vehicle's dashcam.

The video caption alleged that the autonomous shuttle turned out without conducting a safety check first.

Responding to Mothership's queries, a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesperson said LTA is aware of the incident and is investigating.

"The incident occurred while ComfortDelGro was conducting autonomous vehicle testing along a route intended for its enhanced on-demand service," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the route is currently not part of its existing shuttle route.

As a precautionary measure, LTA has directed Comfort DelGro to pause U-turns at this junction pending the outcome of its review.

"We thank the member of the public for sharing the video," the spokesperson added.

In response to Mothership's queries, Michael Huang, Head of Singapore Point-to-Point Mobility Business, Zig by Comfort DelGro said: "We are looking into this matter together with our AV technology partner and the Land Transport Authority.

"We take safety seriously and will assess the circumstances thoroughly."

Nearly hit schoolgirl

An earlier report mentioned that an autonomous shuttle in Punggol was recently seen almost colliding with a young schoolgirl as she was crossing the road on a green light.

A video of the incident was posted to Facebook page SG Road Vigilante, where its caption stated that the incident occurred on Nov. 5 at around 8:11am.

In the video, the autonomous shuttle could be seen making a discretionary left turn during a green light at a junction.

At the same time, a schoolgirl began crossing the road during a green pedestrian light.

The shuttle passed in front of the girl, prompting the girl to stop in her tracks and retreat away.

It could also be seen slowing down and almost stopping before continuing on its way.

The purple autonomous shuttle is part of a trial which was launched in Punggol earlier this year in April.

Grab operates two routes, while Comfort DelGro operates one.

Pause testing, investigations

LTA told Mothership on Nov. 6 that the vehicle was testing a new route in preparation for enhanced on-demand travel within Punggol.

The agency said it had directed Grab to pause testing at such junctions until investigations are completed.

LTA confirmed that the vehicle had detected two pedestrians and was tracking their movements.

When the traffic light turned green, the vehicle began to make a left turn.