AV on trial in Punggol nearly hits girl; Grab directed to narrow testing as LTA probes near-accident

SINGAPORE – A girl was almost hit by a Grab autonomous vehicle crossing in Punggol on Nov 5, with the ride-hailing and delivery company saying that the incident is being reviewed.

A video of the near-miss incident was posted on Facebook, in which the autonomous vehicle (AV) is seen making a left turn at a junction.

As the vehicle approaches the pedestrian crossing, a girl on the pedestrian walkway to the vehicle’s left steps off the curb to cross the road.

The traffic lights were green for both the pedestrian and the AV.

The vehicle did not stop before the pedestrian crossing, and the girl halted as the vehicle drove past in front of her.

A woman can then be seen catching up to the girl and pulling her away from the vehicle.

The vehicle then appears to slow down, before driving off.

The video has since garnered over 260,000 views and 1,000 reactions.

A comparison between the video and Google Maps shows that the incident occurred in Punggol Field Walk.

The location is near the site of another accident involving an AV in January, in which the AV had collided with a road divider at Edgedale Plains.

In response to media queries, a Grab spokesperson said the company is aware of the incident.

“Safety is our top priority. We are aware of this incident and are closely reviewing it together with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and our partner WeRide,” the spokesperson said.

Grab’s autonomous vehicle shuttle services has been available to the public since April 1.

It operates two shuttle routes in Punggol, with one connecting Punggol Matilda Court and Oasis Terraces, and the other connecting Punggol Matilda Court and Punggol Coast Mall.

In an announcement in July, Grab said it will trial letting people book AV rides between specific pick-up and drop-off points along its existing routes in the following months.

The Straits Times has contacted LTA for more information on the incident.