ComfortDelGro to roll out buses with 'anti-collision' system
SINGAPORE — Buses that can “sense” an impending collision and automatically hit the brakes will soon be plying our roads.
Transport operator ComfortDelGo said on Tuesday (26 November) that the first four of its “fully predictive anti-collision” buses – touted to be the first of their kind in Singapore – will be rolled out 1 December.
Each Volvo B8R 49-seater bus comes with a radar-based sensor and camera that both activate once the vehicle accelerates past 15kmh, said the transport operator.
When the onboard system detects a potential collision with another vehicle, it alerts the driver via a blinking red light on the dashboard that is accompanied by a beeping sound.
If no response from the driver is received, the system immediately initiates soft braking before applying full braking power to bring the bus to a complete stop before any collision takes place.
The system also alerts the bus driver when the vehicle veers into other lanes.
With plans to purchase more of such buses over the next two years, six bus drivers have undergone training about the bus’ features, said ComfortDelGro.
“I think these features are helpful as it alerts me when I am not keeping to my lane. But of course, at the end of the day, as a driver, I need to be aware of my surroundings and not just rely on the machine,” said one of the six drivers, Lim Chye Whatt, 56.
Headquartered here, ComfortDelGro operates over 41,600 buses, taxis, and rental vehicles across Australia, the UK, China, Ireland, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
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