WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) announced on Thursday the launch of fully driverless Robobus operations at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore (RWS), the first autonomous vehicle in Southeast Asia to operate without a safety officer on board.

The company secured clearance from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) after a year of safe operations, including thousands of incident-free trips.

Jennifer Li, WeRide’s CFO and Head of International, called the launch a “groundbreaking milestone,” citing the company’s cooperation with Singapore’s regulators.

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The Robobus serves key locations within the resort, such as Equarius Hotel and The Galleria, on a fixed 12-minute loop, using LIDAR, cameras, and 360-degree sensors to navigate without human input.

Singapore plans to incorporate autonomous vehicles into its public transport network by the end of 2025. Supporting this vision, WeRide has opened a new R&D center in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). EDB’s executive vice president Cindy Koh noted that such collaborations help foster innovation and create technology jobs.

Lam Wee Shann, Deputy Chief Executive (Technology) at LTA, emphasized the importance of rigorous AV safety assessments. Only after demonstrating safe operations are companies permitted to remove onboard safety personnel and transition to remote monitoring.

WeRide has also introduced autonomous sanitation vehicles across Marina Coastal Drive, the Esplanade, and Jurong Lake Gardens. These deployments reflect the company’s broader strategy of applying AV technology across urban sectors.

Recently, WeRide expanded its global footprint through a partnership with Uber and Dubai’s transport authority for an autonomous vehicle pilot in the Middle East, showcasing its readiness to scale across multiple international markets.

Related ETFs: Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF (NASDAQ:DRIV), iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (NYSE:IRBO).

Price Action: WRD shares are trading higher by 1.59% to $8.92 premarket at last check Thursday.

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