SINGAPORE, July 30 — Grab will pilot an on-demand autonomous vehicle service in Punggol, a waterfront residential district in north-eastern Singapore, within the next few months, allowing passengers to book direct journeys between selected stops rather than follow fixed shuttle routes.

The service will first open to trial users before being gradually made available to the public in the fourth quarter of 2026, when commercial fares will apply, Grab said, according to Singapore-based media organisation CNA.

Passengers will be able to choose from existing pick-up and drop-off points, with the vehicles taking the most direct route between them, the Land Transport Authority said yesterday.

Grab said the service would improve links between residential areas and amenities including clinics, markets, schools and Punggol Coast MRT station.

The pilot follows feedback from users of the existing autonomous shuttles. Almost 60 per cent of about 270 Punggol residents surveyed said they wanted more choice over where they boarded and alighted, while about 40 per cent preferred more direct routes.

“The pilot is a step towards on-demand, direct-routing services across more pick-up and drop-off points in Punggol,” LTA said.

More than 11,500 people had used the autonomous shuttle services as of July 12. Of about 900 survey respondents, 99 per cent said they felt safe and would recommend the service.

Grab said more than 500 people had joined a waitlist to try new autonomous vehicle services.

Its existing fixed-route shuttles will continue to operate alongside the on-demand service and remain free.

More pick-up and drop-off points will be added progressively based on residents’ feedback, LTA said.

Grab said it had also established an autonomous vehicle depot in Punggol and planned to expand its fleet this year.

“We are deeply grateful to the Punggol community for their support for our AV shuttle trials,” said Grab president and chief operating officer Alex Hungate.

“In response to their feedback, this next phase brings increased flexibility with on-demand, direct routing.”

Autonomous shuttle trials began in Punggol in September 2025 and opened to the public on April 1.

Grab operates two of the area’s three routes, while ComfortDelGro runs the third.