Singapore to test driveless car on road

Singapore has identified some routes for on-road testing of autonomous vehicles in a local district, the Land Transport Authority said on Tuesday.

The test routes will cover a 6-kilometer road network encompassing both light and heavy traffic near the main campus of the National University of Singapore so that the successful applicants can have the opportunity to test the navigation controls in a real world environment, the master planner and developer JTC Corporation and the Land Transport Authority said in a joint press release.

Applications for such trials will open on Tuesday, with the trials expected to start in March 2015. The approval licenses for test vehicles will be valid for a year, and can be renewed after, if required.

Applicants are invited to propose their preferred test programs and test routes within the demarcated test area, which will be assessed for their feasibility before approval is granted.

All successful applicants will be required to submit reports on the progress of their trials and the performance of their autonomous vehicle technologies to the Land Transport Authority on a six-monthly basis.

The trials "will give us the opportunity to learn and understand the technical capabilities and infrastructural requirements necessary for autonomous vehicles to operate safely on public roads," said Chew Men Leong, chief executive of the Land Transport Authority. Endi