Visitors to Singapore’s Sentosa island will soon have access to free self-driving shuttle rides connecting beach attractions, hotels, and leisure venues. The on-demand service is scheduled to begin a trial in early 2027.
The initiative is a joint project between Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and Tada Mobility Singapore. The first phase will deploy two eight-seat autonomous vehicles. These vehicles use technology from WeRide. Passengers will book their rides directly through the Tada app.
Beach Area Service
The initial service will operate in the Siloso and Palawan beach areas. It will offer 21 designated pickup and drop-off locations. Stops include Mega Adventure Park, Ola Beach Club, and Siloso Beach Resort.
Bookings can be made daily from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Singapore time. The trial period will have no fare. Riders must select from the fixed stops; the service does not offer door-to-door transport.
The goal is to simplify travel between popular spots. Current journeys may require using the Sentosa Express monorail, a beach tram, and walking. This new shuttle aims to provide more direct connections. Sentosa previously tested free, app-bookable autonomous shuttle rides in 2019, developed with ST Engineering and Singapore’s transport authorities, which served selected destinations along a 5.7-kilometer route.
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Expansion and Safety
A second phase could expand the service to 27 locations across Sentosa. This includes the eastern part of the island. That expansion is pending approval from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority.
The autonomous vehicles will have trained safety operators on board. The operator, Tower Transit Singapore, is preparing its staff through a training program. The program covers vehicle handling, emergency response, and defensive driving.
This trial builds on Sentosa’s history with autonomous transport. WeRide already operates a driverless Robobus at Resorts World Sentosa on a fixed, approximately 12-minute loop connecting several hotels and other facilities. That service received approval in July 2025 to operate without an onboard safety officer, according to WeRide’s official announcement. The planned Tada service will instead allow passengers to request journeys between selected beach-area stops and will retain onboard safety personnel during its initial trial, distinguishing it from the existing fully driverless Resorts World Sentosa operation.
SDC chief executive Thien Kwee Eng noted that Sentosa’s controlled environment is ideal for testing. The trial will also provide valuable passenger feedback. This data will help determine how the service fits into the island’s transport network.
Hotels believe the new service will improve flexibility. Allen Khoo, general manager of Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, sees benefits for families moving between accommodation, restaurants, and attractions. He suggested a five to seven-minute wait would be acceptable for visitors, though this is an estimate.