Sentosa self-driving shuttles on trial from early 2027

SINGAPORE – From early 2027, visitors to Sentosa can book rides on self-driving shuttles between designated pickup and drop-off points across the western part of the island.

The service is part of a tie-up between Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and ride-hailing platform Tada. The trial will start with two eight-seater self-driving vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology developed by WeRide.

In the first phase of the trial, visitors can book their rides for free on the Tada app between 1pm and 7pm, choosing from 21 pickup and drop-off points.

These include the Mega Adventure Park, Ola Beach Club and Siloso Beach Resort, along Siloso and Palawan beaches.

This new direct mode of transport sets itself apart from the current arrangement, under which visitors have to take the monorail, transfer to the beach tram, and walk to their final destination.

In the second phase of the trial, the number of pickup and drop-off points will increase to 27 across the island, including eastern Sentosa.

This is subject to approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and more details will be announced at a later date.

Rides will be free during the trial.

The safety operators onboard these shuttles are from bus operator Tower Transit Singapore (TTS).

Speaking to the media at the launch event at Emerald Pavilion in Sentosa on Oct 29, SDC chief executive Thien Kwee Eng said the self-driving shuttle services would significantly improve the travel connectivity for visitors to the island.

“This will complement our intra-island transportation infrastructure, all of which will bring about better convenience, better comfort, and better accessibility for guests – giving them more time to better enjoy the island,” she added.

Noting that Sentosa is a controlled environment operated solely by SDC, Thien said the island would serve as a living lab for the testing of new technologies since it will be easier to facilitate such trials there.

The purpose of the trials, she added, is to collect feedback from users so that SDC and Tada can refine the service and look into how best to integrate it into the island’s existing transport network.

As TTS has been running Sentosa’s buses for a year, the operator said it knows the island’s roads well – an advantage that will help its safety operators confidently and manually control the self-driving shuttles when necessary.

It added that its safety operators are in the midst of a month-long training programme that includes vehicle handling, emergency response and defensive driving.

Allen Khoo, general manager of Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa hotel, told reporters that the shuttle service will be a “plus point” for hotel guests as it enhances connectivity with the island’s restaurants, beach clubs and attractions.

With the on-demand arrangement of these rides, Khoo noted that guests – especially families on vacation – will have greater flexibility when moving around the island.

“Because when you’re on holiday, it should be more relaxing and you should not be restricted by (shuttle) timings,” he said.

Khoo estimates that a waiting time of five to seven minutes is manageable for the average number of tourists.

He also foresees that the pick-up and drop-off points at the Skyline Luge, Palawan Beach, indoor karting facility HyperDrive, HydroDash water park and Skypark Sentosa adventure sports centre will be more popular.

SDC had previously trialled a 10-seater shuttle bus service for three months in 2019.