Alphabet's Waymo driverless cars to be first deployed in west of S'pore, starting with Labrador & HarbourFront area

Alphabet's Waymo driverless car service will be the first of its kind to be deployed in the western region of Singapore, starting with the Labrador and HarbourFront areas, the Ministry of Transport announced on September 18. Minister Jeffrey Siow emphasized that safety is the top priority in the expansion of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and highlighted that new job opportunities will be created in the industry.

Waymo, an independent subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet Inc., launched a self-driving public robotaxi service in the U.S. in 2020 and partnered with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) for the Singapore expansion. Siow stated that AVs will complement public transport, fill gaps in service, and operate during times when human drivers are not available.

This will include new use cases such as traveling to work, weekend trips, and serving industrial areas with limited transport options. The first trials of Waymo's AVs in Singapore took place in Punggol in April 2026, and they plan to deploy autonomous vehicles in one to two more HDB towns beyond Punggol. Currently, there are 16 passenger AVs in Punggol, but operators are planning to expand the fleet.

Siow noted that as the AV industry grows, new jobs will be created in vehicle fleet management, remote operation, system maintenance, data analysis, and ensuring safe and reliable service. The government will subsidize up to 90% of salaries during training for interested drivers. Waymo is also opening a local office in Singapore, which will create additional job opportunities.

Siow emphasized that Singapore is well-positioned to design and deploy cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and physical world applications.