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LTA tells Grab to pause self-driving vehicle testing at such junctions after near-miss with schoolgirl in Punggol
The vehicle was part of an autonomous shuttle trial launched in Punggol this year.
November 07, 2026, 11:27 AM
Photo from SGRV/Facebook and motsingapore/Instagram
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has asked Grab to pause some of its autonomous vehicle (AV) testing after one such AV nearly hit a schoolgirl at a traffic crossing in Punggol.
Responding to Mothership's queries on Nov. 6, LTA said that it was aware of the incident and is investigating.
After reviewing the data, 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.
The pedestrians were initially stationary, but when the child started to cross the road, the vehicle braked and veered to the right, said LTA.
It also added that the safety operator on board the vehicle then took control of the AV and manually braked and steered it away from the pedestrian.
LTA has directed Grab to pause testing at such junctions until investigations have concluded, and said it would review whether the response to such scenarios should be tweaked.
The incident
A video of the near-miss, posted by the Facebook page SG Road Vigilante on Nov. 5, was widely shared online.
The autonomous shuttle could be seen making a discretionary left turn during a green light at a junction, when a schoolgirl began crossing the road.
The pedestrian light was green, but was blinking.
Seeing the vehicle approaching her, the girl stopped in her tracks, and the AV briefly braked before it continued driving on.
Some commenters blamed the girl for moving so suddenly and not looking out for incoming traffic, while others thought that the vehicle's reaction was too slow.
The AV is part of an autonomous shuttle service trial that started in Punggol on Apr. 1 2026.
Grab operates two routes, while ComfortDelGro operates one.
In response to queries from Mothership, a Grab spokesperson said: "Safety is our top priority. We are aware of this incident and are closely reviewing it together with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and our partner WeRide."
