BMTC to install ADAS technology in 50 buses in Bengaluru to improve safety, prevent accidents

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View of BMTC bus stand in Bengaluru. The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) will be capable of detecting and issuing warnings for driver drowsiness, distraction, forward collision risks, lane departure and pedestrian collision risks, among other safety events. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

To improve safety and prevent accidents, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will install Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology in 50 buses as part of a pilot project.

According to officials, the proposed system is aimed at improving passenger and road safety by monitoring driver alertness and behaviour, and providing real-time warnings for various safety risks on Bengaluru’s roads.

The corporation recently called a tender for 50 buses, with the selected agency required to operate and maintain the complete system for two years from the date of Go-Live.

The ADAS will include a road-facing camera, a driver-facing Driver Monitoring System (DMS) camera, and two side cameras, along with sensors, an on-board controller/edge-computing unit, storage, software, connectivity, and other equipment. The system will be capable of detecting and issuing warnings for driver drowsiness, distraction, forward collision risks, lane departure, and pedestrian collision risks, among other safety events.

The driver-monitoring component will monitor the driver’s alertness and behaviour. The system is required to detect behaviour such as drowsiness, distraction, mobile-phone use, and smoking, while the road-facing system will identify potential collision and lane-related risks.

A senior BMTC official said, “The proposed project will enhance passenger and road safety by monitoring driver alertness and behaviour, and by providing real-time driving-assistance warnings. The system is also expected to provide alerts to the driver when a safety event is detected.”

A key feature of the system is its integration with a central backend and dashboard. BMTC officials will be able to monitor safety events and access information generated by the system installed in the buses. The system will support integration with BMTC’s existing systems through APIs, wherever the required interfaces and data are made available by the corporation.

The tender specifies that one complete ADAS installation will include all cameras and sensors, controller and edge equipment, storage, accessories, software, and backend, dashboard, hosting, SIM/connectivity, licences, maintenance, repairs, replacements, and technical support. These are to be covered under a single monthly rental charge for each bus.

BMTC has proposed a rental model instead of purchasing the equipment outright. The selected bidder will be paid an all-inclusive monthly rental rate for each complete ADAS installation per bus.

BMTC had earlier seen the deployment of a similar ADAS technology in 10 of its buses in 2023. However, a senior BMTC official clarified that the earlier deployment was not a project implemented by the corporation.

“The ADAS system installed in those 10 buses in 2023 was part of a CSR initiative by a private company. Those buses were provided to the company for the installation, and it was not a BMTC project. Now, BMTC itself is taking up the implementation of ADAS as a pilot project. We have called a tender to install the system in 50 buses. Based on the outcome of the pilot, we will assess its effectiveness and take a call on further deployment,” the official said.

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