LTA directs Grab to pause autonomous vehicle testing at certain Punggol junctions after near miss with schoolgirl
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has directed Grab to pause testing of its autonomous vehicles (AVs) at certain types of junctions in Punggol, after one of its vehicles came close to hitting a schoolgirl at a pedestrian crossing, The Straits Times and CNA reported. LTA said it is investigating the incident and will review whether the vehicle’s response to such scenarios should be adjusted.
According to CNA, the near miss happened at around 8.11am on Thursday, 5 November. A 36-second video posted on the Facebook group SG Road Vigilante showed a Grab AV making a discretionary left turn as a young girl began crossing the road. The Straits Times said a comparison with Google Maps placed the incident at Punggol Field Walk, and that the traffic lights were green for both the pedestrian and the AV at the time. In the footage, the AV appears to slow on the turn, the girl stops, and a woman accompanying her pulls her away as the vehicle drives past.
In response to media queries, LTA said it was informed of the incident on 5 November. “Preliminary data indicates that the vehicle had detected the two pedestrians, and was continuously tracking the pedestrians’ movements,” the authority said. It explained that the vehicle turned left after the light turned green while the pedestrians were at first stationary. When the child began crossing, the vehicle started braking and steered to the right, and the safety operator on board then took over, continued braking and steered away from the pedestrian.
“LTA has directed Grab to pause testing at such junctions until investigations are completed, and we will review whether the response to such scenarios should be adjusted,” LTA said. It also reminded pedestrians to watch for oncoming traffic to come to a complete stop before crossing.
LTA said the vehicle was testing a new route in preparation for an enhanced on-demand travel service within Punggol, which The Straits Times reported is expected to be opened to the wider public in the fourth quarter of 2026. 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.”
Grab’s AV shuttle services have been open to the public since 1 April 2026. It runs two shuttle routes in Punggol using vehicles developed by WeRide, while ComfortDelGro runs one route using Pony.ai vehicles, CNA reported. The Straits Times noted that the location is near the site of an earlier AV accident in January, in which an AV collided with a road divider. CNA added that Grab announced in September plans to expand its AV fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over six months as it looks to extend services beyond Punggol.
For fleet and mobility operators following the AV rollout, the episode shows LTA is prepared to quickly narrow the scope of trials while it reviews data from specific incidents.
Source: The Straits Times, 6–7 November 2026; CNA, 6 November 2026 — Read the original
