Commentary: Singapore must clear the roadblocks for driverless cars

SAVING LIVESIndustry players implicitly understand that if operating AVs safely is not the number one priority in developing the vehicles, there will be no industry to speak of. The strong focus on safety will result in the biggest benefit that AVs could bring to the land transport network: Saving lives. A driverless public transport system will save commuters money not only from the drivers’ salaries, but also from having to pay for driving lessons and getting drivers’ licences. If AVs operated by fleet owners were shared by commuters, there would be fewer cars parked and waiting for their owners to drive them. As compared to today’s vehicles that remain parked more than 90 per cent of the day, shared AVs operating in fleets could be fetching passengers and delivering goods more than 12 hours each day.