Autonomous vehicles in Singapore: Labour MPs call for safeguards for drivers as rollout gathers pace

• Labour MPs Yeo Wan Ling and Melvin Yong backed the Land Transport and Related Matters (No. 2) Bill, which extends AV trials on public roads to 31 December 2028 and allows AV trials on public paths.
• Ms Yeo asked for a clear AV rollout roadmap, tracking of drivers’ trips and earnings, and a seat at the table for NTA and NPHVA.
• Mr Yong called for measurable checks to ensure AV rollout does not outpace retraining, and for new AV jobs to offer good wages and career progression.
• Transport Minister of State Baey Yam Keng said taxi and private-hire car drivers are the Government’s priority, with no immediate impact expected on their livelihoods.

Driverless vehicles are becoming an increasingly visible part of Singapore’s transport system.

Autonomous shuttles have been carrying passengers in Punggol since April, public bus trials are expected by the end of 2026, and Waymo plans to launch fully driverless ride-hailing services in Singapore in 2028.

But as autonomous vehicles (AVs) move closer to wider deployment, Labour Members of Parliament have warned that the transition must not come at the expense of workers whose livelihoods depend on driving.

Speaking during the debate on the Land Transport and Related Matters (No. 2) Bill on 7 October 2026, NTUC Assistant Secretaries-General Yeo Wan Ling and Melvin Yong supported the legislation but called for safeguards to protect affected workers.

The Bill allows trials of AVs on public roads to continue until 31 December 2028. It also provides for AV trials on public paths, including vehicles such as autonomous road sweepers.

Drivers could feel the impact first

Ms Yeo said transport workers and unions were not opposed to technological progress.

“Our transport workers are not against technology. Neither are the unions,” said Ms Yeo, who is also Executive Secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) and Advisor to the National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA).

She said Singapore could move more quickly in areas where autonomous vehicles help address manpower shortages, such as road sweeping, where the workforce is ageing.

But she argued that the impact would be different when autonomous taxis compete directly with existing taxi and private-hire drivers for passengers.

“When an autonomous taxi competes for the same passenger trip and the same fare as an existing taxi or private-hire driver, the labour-market consequences may be quite different,” she said.

Ms Yeo said drivers were already asking what the technology could mean for their livelihoods.

She cited one driver who reacted to news that close to 10,000 passengers had used the autonomous shuttle service in Punggol by asking: “10,000 riders. Does that eventually mean 10,000 fewer jobs for us?”

The answer today was no because the services were still being trialled, she said.

But she added that the concern was understandable for workers who earn their income one trip at a time.

“One more trip taken by a robotaxi could eventually mean one less trip for him. And when you earn your living trip by trip, that really matters,” she said.

Ms Yeo warned that the impact might emerge gradually rather than through sudden job losses.

Drivers could instead face fewer bookings, longer waiting times and downward pressure on earnings, she said.

She also highlighted the wider role that driving has played as an employment option for retrenched workers, career switchers and caregivers who need flexible working hours.

“When other livelihood doors closed, this was one door that remained open,” she said.

Three safeguards proposed

Ms Yeo called for three safeguards as Singapore moves towards commercial AV deployment.

First, she asked for a clearer roadmap setting out the stages of the rollout and the conditions that would determine when Singapore moves from one stage to the next.

Second, she called for the authorities to begin tracking indicators such as drivers’ number of trips, waiting times and earnings before AV deployment expands significantly.

She said any measurable impact on drivers’ livelihoods should be taken into account when deciding the pace of the rollout.

Third, Ms Yeo called for continued consultation with the NTA and NPHVA.

“Drivers can tell us what is happening to waiting times, trips, earnings and commuter behaviour long before these effects become obvious in aggregate statistics,” she said.

She added that retraining programmes should lead to viable employment rather than simply providing workers with new skills.

“A good transition must start from the worker, rather than expecting the worker to fit a prescribed transition programme,” she said.

‘Good jobs, not just new jobs’

Mr Yong welcomed the Government’s assurance that the introduction of autonomous vehicles would not move faster than the support available to affected drivers.

But he asked how that commitment would be measured.

He said indicators could include the number of workers trained, how many successfully moved into new jobs and whether enough suitable jobs were available.

Mr Yong also called for transition plans to be developed with unions and employers before workers begin losing income or employment.

Training programmes, he said, should be linked to actual vacancies.

New jobs could emerge in areas such as safety operations, remote vehicle monitoring and fleet management.

“These roles should be assessed not only by number, but also by whether they offer sustainable wages, relevant skills, and meaningful career progression,” he said.

Mr Yong also asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to publish safety information from autonomous vehicle deployments, including incidents and occasions when safety operators had to intervene.

“Technological progress and worker transition must move together to sustain our social compact,” he said.

Other MPs raise concerns over jobs and safety

Other MPs who serve as NTUC union advisors also raised concerns during the debate.

NTA Advisor Edward Chia suggested that AVs could initially be introduced in locations and at times where there are fewer human drivers.

For example, autonomous vehicles could help meet demand late at night, after public transport services have ended and when fewer taxis and private-hire cars are available.

Such an approach could allow AVs to supplement existing transport services rather than immediately competing with drivers, he said.

Fellow NTA Advisor Lee Hui Ying raised concerns about workers beyond the point-to-point transport sector.

With autonomous road sweepers and delivery vehicles being trialled on public paths, she asked how jobs in cleaning and delivery services could change, what assistance affected workers would receive and what the rollout timeline would be.

NPHVA Advisor Tin Pei Ling focused on data and cybersecurity risks.

She asked who would have access to data collected by autonomous vehicles, how long it would be retained and whether operators would have to meet minimum cybersecurity requirements before being allowed to operate.

Government: Human drivers will remain dominant

Responding to the debate, Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng said taxi and private-hire drivers were a priority in the transition.

“Taxi and private-hire car drivers who drive for a living are our priority in this transition,” he said.

Mr Baey said several hundred autonomous vehicles were expected to be operating by 2028, compared with about 72,000 taxi and private-hire drivers today.

He said the Government therefore did not expect an immediate impact on drivers’ livelihoods.

“The majority of point-to-point transport will be provided by human drivers for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Mr Baey added that autonomous vehicles could help fill transport gaps in areas where drivers were less willing to operate, as well as during hours when public transport services were unavailable.

For drivers considering alternative careers, he said the Government provides flexible training options, Career Conversion Programmes, training incentives and salary support of up to 90 per cent, working with employers and union partners.

He said no significant impact on delivery and cleaning workers was expected in the near to medium term.

“The Government will continue to monitor industry developments and the potential impact on workers,” he said.

LTA was also studying how key safety and operational information from autonomous vehicle deployments could be shared with the public, he added.

Managing the transition

For the Labour MPs, the debate was not about whether Singapore should adopt autonomous vehicles, but how workers should be supported as the technology expands.

Mr Yong said workers must have “a stake in a future shaped by advanced technologies”.

Ms Yeo said technological adoption and worker protection should not be treated as competing objectives.

“Embracing technology and protecting workers are not opposing choices,” she said.

“I hope that as technology moves forward, our workers will move forward with it as well.”