Singapore’s Land Transport Authority ordered Grab to pause autonomous vehicle testing at certain junctions following a near miss involving a schoolgirl in Punggol on Nov. 5, 2026.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:11 a.m. along Punggol Field Walk. A 36-second video capturing the event was posted on the Facebook group SG Road Vigilante.
A Grab autonomous vehicle made a discretionary left turn and nearly struck a schoolgirl crossing the road.
A woman and a child were waiting beside a pedestrian crossing before the girl stepped off the kerb to cross. The shuttle’s indicator was active prior to the turn when the young girl began crossing the road as the vehicle turned left.
Preliminary data reviewed by the Land Transport Authority indicated that the vehicle detected two pedestrians and continuously tracked their movements.
When the traffic light turned green, the vehicle initiated a left turn while the pedestrians were initially stationary. As the child began crossing, the vehicle started braking and steered to the right, according to The Land Transport Authority.
The safety operator on board intervened by taking control of the vehicle, continuing to brake and steer away from the pedestrian. The Land Transport Authority directed Grab to pause testing at such junctions until investigations are completed.
On the same day, a separate near-accident involving an autonomous vehicle operated by ComfortDelGro prompted additional regulatory action in Punggol.
The Land Transport Authority directed ComfortDelGro to suspend U-turn testing for its autonomous vehicles at a traffic junction following the incident on Nov. 5, 2026.
AV on trial in Punggol nearly hits girl; Grab directed to narrow testing as LTA probes near-accident https://t.co/NlzLqf6FGK
Michael Huang, head of Singapore point-to-point mobility business at Zig by ComfortDelGro, addressed the incident in a statement.
We are looking into this matter together with our AV technology partner and the Land Transport Authority,
Huang said, adding, We take safety seriously and will assess the circumstances thoroughly,
according to The Straits Times.
Grab currently operates two autonomous vehicle routes in Punggol using technology developed by WeRide, while ComfortDelGro operates one route using vehicles from Pony.ai.
Grab’s autonomous shuttle services opened for public rides on April 1, 2026, following prior testing and invitation-only community rides. Shuttle services previously began charging a flat fare of $4 per person in April this year.
In September, Grab announced plans to expand its autonomous fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over six months, with intentions to extend its services beyond Punggol to other parts of Singapore.
Safety is our top priority. We are aware of this incident and are closely reviewing it together with the Land Transport Authority and our partner WeRide.
Grab spokesperson
said that the company will continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of all passengers and the public.