SMRT’s new AI-powered bus control centre flags sleepy drivers, harsh braking

Service controllers assess the frequency and severity of the alerts and can radio the driver to stay alert, or in severe cases, ask them to stop their journey for the day.

Other alerts could also be raised when a bus follows another vehicle too closely, or brakes or accelerates too harshly.

“With a clearer view of the operations, (the service controllers) can identify risks early and act early before commuters are affected,” SMRT said. “This helps prevent incidents instead of responding only after they occur.”

The fatigue monitoring system was rolled out in February last year, and SMRT said it has recorded over 1,500 instances where bus drivers appeared fatigued and were alerted.

The system has also helped supervisors understand why individual drivers face fatigue, allowing them to adjust driving schedules.

An AI-enabled sensor also detects when a wheelchair user boards a bus. Once detected, a video of the user is sent to the service controller, who can check if the wheelchair is parked and secured properly. If not, the controller can alert the bus driver before the bus moves off – a check that previously relied solely on the driver’s visual assessment.

The system will eventually be extended to prams.

The centre also monitors service irregularities such as bus bunching, when the same bus service arrives consecutively, and use AI to track fleet condition and recall buses for inspection and repairs before breakdowns occur.

SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said in a speech on Friday that the new system highlights “only what needs attention”, as opposed to a controller staring at a thousand buses on a screen. 

“This is the shift: from watching everything to knowing where to look and when to act. We move from monitoring everything to managing what matters,” he said.