SINGAPORE: ComfortDelGro will soon roll out buses equipped with automatic brakes that will bring them to a stop if it "senses" an impending collision, said the transport operator on Tuesday (Nov 26).

With the first of four buses hitting the road on Dec 1, the company said they will be the first "fully predictive anti-collision" buses in Singapore.



Manufactured by Volvo, the B8R 49-seater buses come with a driver support system that has a built-in collision warning and emergency brake feature.

An amber warning light first appears when the bus is too close to the vehicle in front. (Photo: ComfortDelGro Bus)



Here is how it works: A radar-based sensor and a camera are activated once the bus accelerates past 15kmh. When a potential collision with another vehicle is detected, a beeping sound and a blinking red light on the dashboard will go off.

In the absence of a response by the driver, soft braking will be initiated before full braking power is applied to bring the bus to a complete stop before any collision occurs.



The front-facing camera on the windshield of the bus. (Photo: ComfortDelGro)

The system also alerts the driver when the bus veers off its lane.



While the safety features help to keep drivers alert, bus driver Lim Chye Whatt said: "At the end of the day, as a driver, I need to be aware of my surroundings and not just rely on the machine."



The first Volvo B8R bus is equipped with a collision warning and emergency brake feature. (Photo: ComfortDelGro Bus)

The 56-year-old is among six drivers who have undergone training on the new safety feature, in anticipation of plans to purchase more of such buses over the next two years, said ComfortDelGro.

