Role of drivers will evolve with introduction of autonomous vehicles: Acting Transport Minister

New jobs will emerge but there will always be jobs for drivers in the transport sector, even as Singapore is set to introduce autonomous vehicles, said Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.
On June 27, Siow announced plans to roll out self-driving buses in Punggol by the fourth quarter of 2025, during a working visit to Guangzhou, China, raising concerns about job security for drivers.
"The role of the driver may change," he said, adding that it is the role of the Government, together with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), to "help these drivers make the best of these new opportunities".
According to Siow, the role of a driver is likely to change with the introduction of autonomous vehicles.
"(It) may well be you have somebody on board that does different things," he said.
Instead of driving, Siow said that one might help elderly passengers with boarding, helping to load luggage, or serve as a tour guide.
He highlighted the importance of taxi and private hire drivers in Singapore's current ecosystem, and said that the Government will "make sure that they are well taken care of" amid the proposed developments.
Some drivers will transition to the new jobs created, while others may have to "reskill, to retrain and to take up other jobs in the economy that will be generated because of economic change", he explained.
"I’ve had group discussions with (union leaders) about how to communicate the changes that are coming to the drivers and to help them with the transition when it comes," Siow said.
The acting minister said the autonomous vehicles will be deployed in Punggol "before the end of the year".
Initially, they will be trialled without passengers, before allowing passengers on board.
Siow did not mention when passengers would be allowed, but said that it will depend on residents' interest and their willingness to adopt the technology.
"Safety will be our priority," he said, adding that the buses will move at a "manageable" speed and that there will always be a safety officer on board.
Speaking to AsiaOne, a 19-year-old Punggol resident, who did not want to be named, said that it is a "very interesting integration".
The student is aware of such technologies already running in China and was not surprised that Singapore is following suit.
"But at the same time, I'm also rather apprehensive of the whole thing," she said, adding that she is slightly worried regarding the dangers of an unmanned vehicle.
Another Punggol resident, who wished to be known as Cheong, told AsiaOne that she is looking forward to the new technology and hopes that it will "expand access to the public transportation system, and hopefully reduce traffic congestion".
While the 43-year-old enrichment teacher is also worried about accidents or breakdowns happening in such driverless vehicles, she is optimistic that relevant safety measures will be put in place.
Siow also said that Tengah is the next area that may see self-driving buses if the trials in Punggol are successful, considering how it was designed to be a "public transport-heavy town" where autonomous vehicles will be "very, very useful".
NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said that technology is a "growth driver" and that autonomous vehicles are a good example of this.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (June 29), he welcomed the announcement and the productivity gains it will bring, such as the quicker introduction of new bus routes as bus drivers would no longer need to be trained.
"Nonetheless, at NTUC we believe innovation must go hand-in-hand with productivity gains and progress for our workforce," he said, adding that NTUC will work together with their tripartite partners to ensure fair transition policies and quality training programmes.
NTUC assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling also said that the labour movement believes that the push for autonomous vehicles will create new jobs for Singaporeans.
Yeo was a member of Singapore's delegation to Guangzhou and met with the workers who manage the vehicle fleets, check the systems, and plan the best routes.
"These are skilled jobs and safer work environments that didn't exist before," she said, adding that transport workers are "invaluable assets" as their knowledge on the intricacies of Singapore's transport systems cannot be generated from computers alone.
She also shared similar sentiments with Ng regarding NTUC's efforts to help workers access training and new opportunities amid a changing job landscape.
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