Readers Response Draft 1

An online article “Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore’s Transport” retrieved from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) website (2018) stated that implementation of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) will further improve the efficiency of transport which provide better mobility for the commuter. MOT mention that AV technology is not uncommon in Singapore, having various public transport operating through this technology it “improve the punctuality” and “less reliant on manpower”. According to MIT study (2011) (as cited in MOT, 2018) in Singapore, AV-enabled car sharing technology is capable to increase accessibility for commuter through reducing the number of personal vehicles on the roads. This technology helps reduces carbon footprint by improving road management. Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore (CARTS) has been established to leads Singapore closer to the achievement of AV-enabled land mobility. 

Throughout the article, MOT failed to mention the current safety of this technology. Road safety is a global top priority in Singapore, the citizen must go through a safety training course in order to get a licence to drive a motor vehicle.
Having a driver with knowledge of road safety is more assuring than having a computer loaded with programmes and sensors with the current technology.  According to Lin (2016), in the morning an accident occurs between an autonomous vehicle and a lorry. “No one was injured when the car knocked into the lorry while changing lanes”. This shows that the present technology for AV is still not ready to be deployed on the main road.

Despite safety issue currently, there is too many unanswered regarding insurance for the driverless vehicle. An article by Hamann and Pearce (2018), “the party with the most control on how the car manoeuvres and behaves holds the most responsibility.” Unlike modern days the faults lie on whoever that is controlling the vehicle.

Another issue that MOT did not bring up is the possibly increasing unemployment rate caused by the implementation of AV technology. In the future when AV technology is more reliable, it will take over the majority of public transport causing a shortage of career. An article by Lim (2016), “Driverless technologies can lead to a rise in structural unemployment, when jobless individuals cannot find work due to a mismatch between their skills and those demanded by employers.”
In the article it mentions about a new career being created to supervise all the AV, but how many of the driver possesses the requirement and skills for that career.
According to Laing, (2017) Truck and buses are “one of the largest employment sectors for those without a college education.” Clearly, it shows that there will be some left unemployed after the implementation of AV. When it comes to AV-enabled car sharing it will affect even more drivers that drive for a living.

Safety is still the top priority when on the road, with present AV technology there is still room for improvement. Until AV is fully reliable it should stay off the main road.
  









Hamann, K. and Pearce, G. Will driverless vehicles drive insurance premiums down?
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/will-driverless-vehicles-drive-insurance-premiums-down-10156844

Lim, A. (2016, May 14). Job loss looms but this bus driver has changed gear
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/job-loss-looms-but-this-bus-driver-has-changed-gear

Laing, K. (2017, Sept 26). Professional drivers fear job loss to robotic vehicles
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2017/09/26/professional-drivers-fear-job-loss-self-driving-vehicles/106000116/

Lin, M. (2016, Oct 19). Driverless car hits lorry during test drive. The Straits Times
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/driverless-car-hits-lorry-during-test-drive

Ministry of Transport Singapore(2018). Driverless vehicles: A vision for Singapore’s transport
https://www.mot.gov.sg/transport-matters/motoring/Detail/driverless-vehicles-a-vision-for-singapore-s-transport/



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