Ryde, self-driving tech firm MooVita test new shuttle service

Ryde has partnered with MooVita to propose an autonomous shuttle pilot in Punggol, Singapore, aiming to launch the service by Q4 2025, pending regulatory approval.

The proposal, submitted to the Land Transport Authority, plans to deploy SAE Level 4 autonomous shuttles connecting Punggol residents to MRT stations and transport hubs using the Ryde app.

The pilot will start with safety officers onboard for 12 months before moving to remote supervision and, if approved, full autonomy.

Ryde said it will regularly publish metrics such as service availability and safety records during the pilot.

The company also plans to develop a broader autonomous vehicle platform to support integration of various AV operators in Singapore.

This initiative aligns with Singapore’s plans to accelerate self-driving vehicle adoption, with Punggol selected as the first HDB estate to pilot such services.

🔗 Source: Ryde

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Singapore’s decade-long AV infrastructure development creates strong foundation for commercial deployment

Singapore has been systematically building autonomous vehicle capabilities since 2015, starting with controlled testing sites at Buona Vista, CleanTech Park, and Sentosa before expanding trials 1.
By 2019, the Land Transport Authority expanded the geographical testing zone to encompass all of western Singapore, covering over 1,000 km of public roads to allow testing in diverse traffic scenarios 1.
The country developed specialized testing infrastructure including CETRAN facilities with unique equipment like rain simulators that release up to 150 milliliters of water per hour, specifically designed to test AVs under tropical weather conditions 2.
This methodical approach culminated in WeRide launching Southeast Asia’s first fully driverless Robobus at Resorts World Sentosa in July 2025, operating without a safety officer after extensive testing and LTA approval 3.

Graduated deployment approach demonstrates how public trust is built through incremental progress

Singapore’s AV trials have progressed from basic shuttle services with safety drivers to fully autonomous operations, showing how public confidence is systematically developed.
The 2019 Sentosa trial marked the first on-demand autonomous shuttle service open to the public, operating along a 5.7 km route with safety drivers present 4.
By 2019, the NUS campus trial became the first operated by a transport company using only the shuttle’s internal navigation systems, without external infrastructure support 5.
The July 2025 WeRide deployment achieved full driverless operation at Sentosa, maintaining a zero-incident safety record since inception 3.
The Ryde proposal follows this same graduated approach, planning safety officers for 12 months before transitioning to remote supervision, demonstrating how established protocols guide new commercial deployments.