Automated buses dodge peacocks, tourists and plants in Singapore test - Reuters

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Roaming peacocks, meandering tourists and curbside bushes were all causing headaches this week for operators of one of the first autonomous bus shuttle services to hit public roads in Singapore. Passengers found themselves almost outnumbered by bus stewards checking their seatbelts were tightly fastened as ST Engineering began testing four vehicles in the coastal district of Sentosa. Singapore, ranked second behind the United States in its preparedness for wide-scale driverless transport in a recent KPMG report, plans to deploy autonomous buses in three districts of the island from 2022. The latest trial, due to run until November 15, is being closely watched by tech firms and automakers around the world following a series of mishaps. "Public safety is our top priority," Singapore's transport ministry said in a joint statement with ST Engineering.