The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is also planning to implement advanced technology in its buses to monitor driver behaviour and track the drivers’ behaviour and passenger movement in its buses for better road safety and to obtain more accurate information about the movements of passengers. Some proposed systems will include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) technology.
BMTC has recently announced tenders for the two systems on a trial basis, according to a recent report. The ADAS system is planned for 50 diesel buses, while the automatic passenger-counting system is proposed for 30 buses. The technology is intended to meet various operational requirements, from accident prevention and driver monitoring to passenger occupancy and ridership analysis.
How will ADAS work in BMTC buses?
The Advanced Driver Assistance System will use cameras and sensors to continuously monitor the road environment as well as the driver's behaviour.
The forward-facing camera will monitor the road ahead and can warn about potential collisions, lane departures, pedestrians, and staying away from vehicles safely. Two side cameras will be situated next to the bus and will help see blind spots.
Another important component will be the driver-monitoring camera. It will also screen for signs of driver fatigue and distraction. The system will recognize distractions, such as drowsiness and mobile phone use, among other distractions. When an unsafe situation is detected, the system can give the driver an audio-visual warning.
This could provide an additional layer of safety, especially when BMTC buses are operating on busy Bengaluru roads where drivers have to deal with heavy traffic, pedestrians, two-wheelers and frequent lane changes.
Trial planned before wider implementation
BMTC is going to test the ADAS technology before making a decision on wider deployment. The trial is to help the company assess how well the technology works in real-world Bengaluru traffic conditions and to establish technical specifications for future expansion.
BMTC has a large fleet with thousands of diesel and electric buses. Tracking, passenger services, and safety has also been expanded in the company. More recently, vehicle tracking technology has already been deployed on the BMTC fleet.
Smart Passenger Counting System
Along with ADAS, BMTC is also planning to introduce an Automatic Passenger Counting system on 30 buses.
The APC system will be equipped with cameras located at passenger entry and exit doors. These cameras generate a three-dimensional view of the counting area and automatically record when passengers enter and leave the bus.
The system should also be able to provide BMTC with more detailed information on passenger occupancy and movement. The company is also expected to have a minimum of 95% counting accuracy upon commissioning.
The passenger-counting data can also be compared with information from electronic ticketing machines and other ticketing systems. That could help BMTC to build more reliable estimates of ridership, such as passengers travelling with passes and those purchasing tickets.
Technology could help monitor Ticketing
The APC system will also play an operational role beyond just counting passengers. By combining passenger count information with ticketing and electronic ticketing machine data, BMTC would be able to better understand the number of passengers who have purchased tickets or are travelling under passes.
The technology could also help officials to identify discrepancies in passenger movement and ticketing information. However, the exact enforcement mechanism and operational procedures will depend on the final system specifications and BMTC's implementation.
Control Room Monitoring
The overall thrust of the technology upgrade is to give BMTC a clearer picture of what’s happening inside and around its buses.
Information generated by cameras and sensors can be monitored through the corporation’s control-room infrastructure. Alerts may also help to speed up the response to safety problems or operational problems.
BMTC has also taken safety measures based on technology (e.g., vehicle tracking and emergency-related systems). The corporation's continued use of digital monitoring is part of a larger strategy to improve the management of Bengaluru's public transport network.
For now, the proposed ADAS and passenger counting systems are still in the trial and tender stage. The performance of the pilot installations will be key in determining if similar technology is eventually implemented on a larger number of BMTC buses.
