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FairPrice Group first in Singapore to operate driverless vehicles on public roads

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Wednesday, October 8th 2025 at 4:35 GMT by Asia One
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FairPrice Group to Pilot Driverless Delivery Vans on Singapore Roads – a First in the Region

Singapore, Feb. 27, 2024 – In a landmark move toward a fully autonomous logistics ecosystem, the FairPrice Group announced that it will be the first Singaporean company to operate driverless vehicles on public roads. Partnering with Waycare, a domestic autonomous‑vehicle developer, the group plans to launch a pilot that will see small, sensor‑laden vans delivering groceries directly to customers’ front doors. The initiative, approved by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), marks a major milestone in the city‑state’s ongoing push to embed autonomous technology in everyday life.

A Strategic Shift Toward Smart Logistics

FairPrice’s CEO, Mr. Koh Wei Ming, said the company has “long been exploring how technology can help us deliver better service at lower cost.” The new pilot will allow the supermarket chain, which operates over 400 stores across Singapore, to deploy up to 30 autonomous vans over a two‑year period. “By integrating driverless vehicles into our supply chain, we aim to reduce delivery times, cut emissions, and free up human drivers for more complex tasks,” Koh explained.

The autonomous vans will originate from distribution centres located near the FairPrice outlets. Once orders are confirmed, the vans will automatically navigate to the nearest store, pick up the pre‑packed items, and deliver them directly to customers who have opted for curb‑side or doorstep pickup. According to the company, the entire journey could be completed in as little as 15 minutes, a dramatic improvement over the current average of 45 minutes for last‑mile deliveries.

Waycare’s Autonomous Van Technology

Waycare, a Singapore‑based AI‑driven mobility company, is the technology partner behind the pilot. Founded in 2018, the startup has been at the forefront of the nation’s autonomous vehicle research, winning the “Waycare Autonomous Van” in the Singapore Autonomous Vehicle Challenge in 2021. The vans are equipped with an array of sensors – LiDAR, ultrasonic, RGB cameras, and high‑precision GPS – and run on Waycare’s proprietary “WaySense” perception stack that can detect pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and traffic signals in real time.

“We are excited to bring our autonomous delivery platform to a major player like FairPrice,” said Ms. Tan Chua Wei, Waycare’s CEO. “The collaboration will allow us to refine the vans’ safety algorithms in a real‑world retail environment, while FairPrice’s vast distribution network offers an ideal testing ground for autonomous logistics at scale.”

Waycare’s vans also come with a “human‑in‑the‑loop” feature: a safety driver sits in the passenger seat and can override the system if required. However, the LTA’s Special Use Permit, the green light that enables the pilot, stipulates that the vans will operate with a “driver‑less” configuration in public traffic, meaning the safety driver will only take over during a system emergency or at designated “check‑in” points.

LTA’s Regulatory Green Light

The Land Transport Authority’s approval came as part of its “Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Pilot Programme,” which aims to test a wide range of AV solutions on Singapore’s roads. The LTA issued a “Special Use Permit” for Waycare and FairPrice to run the autonomous van pilot from the first quarter of 2025. The permit allows the vans to operate on specified routes and time windows, ensuring minimal interference with existing traffic.

The LTA’s director of Advanced Mobility, Dr. Lim Hwee Ying, highlighted the significance of the pilot. “This is the first time a commercial delivery operator has been granted the licence to deploy driverless vans on public roads. It shows our confidence in the safety and reliability of these systems, and it paves the way for wider adoption in the future.”

According to the LTA’s guidelines, the pilot will be limited to a maximum of 30 vans, each with a capacity of 1,200 kg, and will be monitored through a real‑time data‑collection platform. The data will feed into the LTA’s “AV Data Hub” to refine traffic modelling and risk assessment.

A Broader Vision for Singapore’s Future Mobility

Singapore has long been a testbed for autonomous mobility, from the 2020 trials of robotaxis in the central business district to the ongoing “A*Star” and “National Institute of Education” research projects. This new venture aligns with the government’s “Smart Nation” strategy, which seeks to harness AI and automation to create safer, cleaner, and more efficient urban environments.

Industry analysts see the FairPrice‑Waycare partnership as a blueprint for other sectors. Ms. Angela Tan, a senior analyst at KPMG Singapore, noted, “If the pilot succeeds, it could unlock new revenue streams for retailers and logistics firms, and help Singapore’s freight sector achieve significant reductions in CO₂ emissions.”

The pilot also dovetails with the LTA’s broader “Low‑Carbon Roadmap” which aims to reduce vehicle emissions by 50 % by 2030. By eliminating the need for a human driver, autonomous vans could reduce idle times and enable more precise routing, thereby cutting fuel consumption.

Looking Ahead

While the initial phase will run from 2025 to 2027, FairPrice and Waycare are already discussing an “expansion roadmap.” If the pilot meets performance benchmarks, the group intends to roll out the technology to all of its urban stores, with a goal of achieving 20 % of all deliveries through autonomous vans by 2030.

“Technology is evolving rapidly,” Koh said. “Our partnership with Waycare is a testament to Singapore’s commitment to being a global hub for innovation. We’re excited to lead the way in autonomous logistics and set new standards for customer convenience.”

The pilot will serve as a real‑world laboratory for Singapore’s autonomous ecosystem, offering invaluable insights that will shape the regulatory framework and commercial deployment of driverless vehicles across the city‑state and beyond.