WeRide, an autonomous driving technology company headquartered in Guangzhou, recently announced that it has successfully obtained the Testing Regime Level 1 Licence for Autonomous Vehicles (AV) on Public Roads ("M1 Licence") and the T1 Assessment Licence for AVs on Public Paths ("T1 Licence") from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore. With these Licences, WeRide's Robobus will be able to conduct tests on a larger scale on public roads in Singapore, covering important areas such as One North and the National University of Singapore.
WeRide is the first and, to date, the only technology company globally to simultaneously hold autonomous driving permits in China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.
WeRide's Robobus in Singapore. (Photo provided to GDToday)
It is reported that the assessment of M1 Licence in Singapore covers multiple dimensions, including basic autonomous driving functions, static obstacle recognition, dynamic obstacle avoidance, and more. Vehicles must accurately and flawlessly complete the mentioned tasks within test facilities that highly replicate the urban road traffic scenarios in Singapore where the authorities have exceptionally high safety requirements.
WeRide's Robobus Operated in Heavy Rain. (Photo provided to GDToday)
According to WeRide, its Robobus arrived at the Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research of Autonomous Vehicles (CETRAN) in Singapore on August 28th. It took three months for the company to acquire the M1 and T1 Licences, which set a record for the speed at which an autonomous driving company obtained Licences in Singapore.
WeRide's Robobus at CETRAN. (Photo provided to GDToday)
According to the Energy Research Institute @ Nanyang Technological University (ERI@N), Singapore has experienced a staggering 66 percent increase in total domestic travel over the past decade, leading to persistent challenges for the local government in terms of road network congestion and parking issues. Additionally, more than 30 percent of Singapore's urban transportation workforce is over 50 years old, indicating a rapidly aging population.
In October of 2023, WeRide signed strategic cooperation agreements with two Singaporean companies, Woodlands Transport Services and EZbuzz, further expanding its network of local partners.
Editors | Olivia, Jasmine
