news

Singapore to roll out predictive anti-collision buses

Posted: 26 November 2019 |

ComfortDelGro Bus will be rolling out Volvo buses in Singapore equipped with automatic brake features that come to a stop if the bus ‘senses’ a collision is about to take place.

Singapore to roll out predictive anti-collision buses

ComfortDelgro has bought four Volvo buses that are equipped to brake automatically and come to a stop if they "sense" a collision is about to take place. Credit: ComfortDelGro

What is said to be Singapore’s first fully predictive anti-collision bus will be rolled out in December 2019. ComfortDelGro Bus, the unscheduled bus operator in Singapore, will be rolling out four new Volvo B8R 49-seater buses, which come with a driver support system that has a built-in Collision Warning and Emergency Brake (CWEB) feature. 

A radar-based sensor and a camera are activated once the bus accelerates past 15km/h. When it detects a potential collision with another vehicle, the system alerts the driver through a blinking red light on the dashboard and a beeping sound. If the driver still does not respond, the system immediately initiates soft braking before applying full braking power to bring the bus to a complete stop before any collision happens.

The system also comes with a lane-keeping assist function that alerts the bus driver when the bus veers into other lanes. Similarly, the braking system kicks in if it senses a frontal collision threat.

Pang Weng Heng, CEO of ComfortDelGro Bus, said: “As a private bus operator, safety is key. With its ability to intervene and stop the bus before a frontal collision happens, Volvo’s CWEB feature is a welcomed safety enhancement that will help our bus drivers avoid critical situations and accidents.”

“For Volvo, safety is more than just developing innovative safety solutions in our products. We believe that we have an overall responsibility in society and that we have an important role to play when it comes to making road traffic safer for everyone. Available on all Volvo coaches, we are extremely proud to have partnered with ComfortDelGro Bus to launch our new safety system in Singapore,” said Mats Nilsson, Director of Volvo Buses Region Singapore.

As there are plans to purchase more of such buses over the next two years, six ComfortDelGro Bus drivers have undergone training about the in-built CWEB feature.