Grab AV near-miss with girl in Punggol under review
SINGAPORE – A girl was almost hit by a Grab autonomous vehicle (AV) crossing in Punggol on Nov 5, with the ride-hailing and delivery company saying the incident is being reviewed.
A video of the near-miss incident posted on Facebook shows the AV making a left turn at a junction.
As the vehicle approaches the pedestrian crossing, a girl on the pedestrian walkway to the vehicle’s left steps off the kerb to cross the road.
The traffic lights are green for both the pedestrian and the AV.
The vehicle does not stop before the pedestrian crossing, and the girl halts as the vehicle drives past in front of her.
A woman can then be seen approaching the girl and pulling her away from the vehicle.
The vehicle then appears to slow down before moving off.
The video has since garnered over 260,000 views and 1,000 reactions.
A comparison between the video and Google Maps shows that the incident occurred in Punggol Field Walk.
The location is near the site of another accident involving an AV in January, in which the AV collided with a road divider in Edgedale Plains.
In response to media queries, a Grab spokesperson said the company is aware of the latest incident.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
Grab’s AV shuttle services have been available to the public since April 1.
It operates two shuttle routes in Punggol, with one connecting Punggol Matilda Court and Oasis Terraces, and the other connecting Punggol Matilda Court and Punggol Coast Mall.
In an announcement in July, Grab said it would trial letting people book AV rides between specific pickup and drop-off points along its existing routes in the following months.
The Straits Times has contacted LTA for more information on the incident.
