SBS Transit continues to invest in technology to increase Bus Captains competency

SBS Transit Bus Captains now have three "mentors" to guide them in becoming better drivers: HATT, Vigil and Mobileye.

The three systems have a combined price tag of over $3 million - and have proven to be very sound investments indeed.

HATT, or Hazard Awareness Training and Test, trains Bus Captains to be safe drivers by teaching them to anticipate and be alert to the dangers on the roads. By using tablets or touchscreen computers, Bus Captains are able to utilise the system to recognise potential and developing hazards through theory and practical lessons. These lessons incorporate actual bus travel video footage and visual signals as well as a practical test segment. The system was specially developed in-house to teach Bus Captains greater vigilance on the roads. HATT was launched in March 2016, and 260 trainees and 630 Bus Captains have already taken this course. HATT will be included in the foundational training for Bus Captains at the Singapore Bus Academy.

Vigil Vanguard, on the other hand, identifies and corrects Bus Captain's driving faults by using in-vehicle cameras, sensors and a mapping software to record a trainee or Bus Captain's driving behaviour. The system assesses the driving performance and analyses their competency skills - such as harsh acceleration, sudden braking, incorrect turning angles and even failure to check blind spots. Vigil helps to train about 2,700 Bus Captains every year.

The third system, Mobileye, is an anti-collision alert system that helps to reinforce safe driving behaviour. It consists of a smart camera mounted on the bus windshield to monitor road conditions and alerts Bus Captains to pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles in close proximity to the front of their buses, or when Bus Captains change lanes without signalling. Every year, an average of 1,000 new trainees learn how to use Mobileye.

During training, the Mobileye is used together with Vigil to provide an objective assessment of Bus Captains' driving performance. For trainees, this assessment allows instructors to review their driving performance and identify areas for improvement. For experienced Bus Captains, this assessment during their refresher training (Driving Skills Enhancement Programme) ensures that their standards are maintained.

Mobileye is also installed on our passenger service buses on the road. We will be fitting 750 buses with the system this year and expect more than 3,000 buses to be equipped with it by the end of 2018.

SBS Transit Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gan Juay Kiat said: "SBS Transit is fully committed to make our commuters' travelling experience better. For this reason, we have been investing in technology to help us train our Bus Captains. We fully support the SkillsFuture Sectoral Manpower Plan for the Public Bus Industry and we will continue to explore new technology to do more to support and develop our Bus Captains."

Senior Bus Captain Tan Bon Yam, 51 years old, who has been on the job for 16 years, said, "Technology is very good! Safety is important and these are great learning tools for both new and experienced Bus Captains. I feel that I can understand the road and my driving behaviour better and it feels like I have a mentor with me all the time."