Singapore has started testing the world's first self-driving taxi last Thursday, the first time it had been tested on public roads, according to Singapore's Channel NewsAsia.
The self-driving car was invented by nuTonomy, a US technology start-up focused on self-driving cars, and is expected to be put on the market in 2018 with around 75 cars.
According to nuTonomy, ten residents were invited to the test and they could use an App to reserve the taxi for a free ride to any of 12 locations the company had preset throughout the day, except during rush hour for safety reasons.
The company rolled out only one car during the trial period, a Mitsubishi-MiEV, which had been approved by the government. Others are pending approval, according to Strait Times, a local newspaper.
"Singapore is the best place in the world for self-driving cars because of the high consumer demand for taxis here, well-maintained roads, and clear government regulations for its tests," Doug Parker, chief operations officer of nuTonomy , told the Strait Times.
The trial was reported to help improve software system performance, vehicle routing efficiency, vehicle booking processing, and the passengers' ride experience.
"I would definitely consider taking driverless taxis once they are widely available. It would be good if they could also include a carpooling option." Olivia Seow, one of the invited passengers, said.