Singapore has 20 electric public buses by Chinese manufacturer Yutong Group, and none of these vehicles support any remote control functions, the Land Transport Authority said on Monday.
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LTA’s response came after Norway’s public transport operator Ruter found that Yutong had access to the buses’ control systems for software updates and diagnostics.
This could allow the manufacturer to turn them off remotely.
The discovery has also raised cybersecurity concerns, with Ruter saying earlier this month that it has introduced stricter security requirements and stepped up anti-hacking measures.
LTA said Singapore has 20 Yutong electric buses that have been operating smoothly on public bus services since 2020.
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“Yutong has confirmed that these 20 buses do not support over-the-air software updates or any remote-control function,” it added.
“We note Yutong’s public clarification that its buses cannot be remotely controlled or deactivated and that the data collected is used solely for vehicle maintenance and performance optimisation.