ComfortDelGro's private charter services to launch Singapore's first 'fully predictive anti-collision' bus

SINGAPORE — ComfortDelGro will soon roll out private buses equipped with automatic brakes that will bring them to a stop if it "senses" an impending collision, the transport operator said on Tuesday (Nov 26).

With the first of four buses hitting the road on Dec 1, the company said that they will be the first "fully predictive anti-collision" buses in Singapore.

Manufactured by Volvo, the B8R 49-seater buses come with a driver support system that has a built-in collision warning and emergency brake feature.

Here is how it works: A radar-based sensor and a camera are activated once the bus accelerates past 15km/h. When a potential collision with another vehicle is detected, a beeping sound and a blinking red light on the dashboard will go off.

In the absence of a response by the driver, soft braking will be initiated before full braking power is applied to bring the bus to a complete stop before any collision occurs.

The system also alerts the driver when the bus veers off its lane.

While the safety features help to keep drivers alert, bus driver Lim Chye Whatt said: "At the end of the day, as a driver, I need to be aware of my surroundings and not just rely on the machine."

The 56-year-old is among six drivers who have undergone training on the new safety feature, in anticipation of plans to buy more of such buses over the next two years, ComfortDelGro said. CNA

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