200510 – Appleyard & Grady – Driverless Systems – The Challenge for the Operator and Maintainer

The following paper sets out the experiences of SBS Transit Ltd in the operation and maintenance of two driverless guided transport systems in Singapore. This paper is not a detailed description of the technologies employed, but rather looks at the issues arising from the application of these technologies.

The paper commences by discussing the how the Government of Singapore recognises the role of public transport in the development of the nation and how the provision of high quality public transport is used a development tool. It then discusses the operational performance of the system to date, the operator’s and maintainer’s challenge unique to driverless systems and sets out challenges for the future as seen by the authors.