FairPrice Group trials self-driving cargo vehicles on public roads

Use of such vehicles is expected to lower the group's emissions, improve its productivity

- Sarah Koh

FairPrice Group (FPG) has received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to trial the use of self-driving vehicles to transport goods as it moves to improve its productivity and, at the same time, reduce its carbon footprint.

In a statement on Oct 24, FPG said it was the first organisation in Singapore to be allowed to carry out the final stages of a trial using autonomous vehicles on public roads for cargo transportation.

The supermarket chain said that the first phase of the public road trial began on Oct 18 and involves the autonomous vehicle going through "daily and nightly" test drives, accompanied by a safety vehicle.

Once the vehicle satisfies LTA's standards for autonomous vehicle road safety, the second phase will begin, which will allow the vehicle to go on test drives without a safety vehicle to accompany it.

According to LTA's website, Singapore's safety assessment for autonomous vehicles is known as the AV Milestone Testing Regime, which comprises three milestones.