Singapore government seeks public feedback on proposed legal framework for AV deployment, safety

[SINGAPORE] The Ministry of Transport (MOT) will commence a public consultation from Monday (May 4) to gather feedback on the proposed legal and regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Singapore.

“This is part of MOT’s efforts to develop legislation that will govern AVs deployed on roads in Singapore more holistically,” the ministry said on Monday.

“The proposed AV legislation will clarify the safety regulations, as well as the liability, insurance and enforcement regimes for the operation of AVs. This gives businesses the legal clarity they need to operate AVs, while giving assurance to commuters,” MOT added.

The legislation will include lessons learnt from the existing AV regulatory sandbox under the Road Traffic Act, and international best practices, the authority noted.

For the consultation, which will accept responses until Jun 30, MOT will engage with industry players, the insurance and legal sectors, unions and the public to seek views on the proposed legislation.  

Four pillars

MOT said that the consultation will focus on four critical areas that will form the foundation of the AV legislative framework.

The first area covers the responsibility and accountability of key players involved in AV deployments, said the ministry.

It noted that the framework has identified four key players in the AV ecosystem, which are: the entities in charge of AV technology; fleet operators; onboard safety operators; and remote operators.

The consultation will seek feedback on how best to regulate these players through measures such as vehicle approval processes, licensing schemes, penalties for serious breaches, and updates to liability rules that will apply to both testing and full commercial operations. 

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For the second area – which focuses on compensation and insurance – the consultation will gather views on the role of AV insurance in supporting deployments, considering Singapore’s existing insurance regime.

Key considerations will include keeping premiums affordable, ensuring timely payouts, and covering new risks such as cyberattacks on vehicles. 

The third area focuses on data and cybersecurity management as AVs collect and generate substantial amounts of data.

The proposed framework addresses personal data protection, public security, regulatory oversight and accident investigation requirements, said MOT.

Thus, the consultation will seek feedback on calibrating requirements for AV players to meet these objectives, while minimising compliance burden, it added.

The fourth area will focus on advanced driver assistance systems and conditional automation, as the distinction between conventional vehicles and AVs has become “increasingly blurred”, noted MOT.

Views will be solicited on liability issues that arise when accidents occur during handovers between human drivers and conditional automated systems, as these transitions may still require manual intervention.

Interested parties may refer to the full consultation paper online and submit responses before the deadline.