Transport for London (TfL) selected three innovative projects from RATP Dev to improve bus safety at the latest London Bus Safety Summit.
London transport authority, TfL, has awarded £500,000 funding (approx. €565,000) to develop new ideas from transport operators across London in order to reduce the number of people seriously injured or killed on London's bus network.
After a bidding process, three projects presented by RATP Dev London (which includes bus subsidiaries London United Busways, London Sovereign and Quality Line) were selected from the 14 projects submitted by six operators. They will receive funding and will be tested in 2018. If results are conclusive, innovations may be deployed across the London bus network with union approval.
The three RATP Dev London projects are:
Seeing Machines: a system installed in the drivers cab that digitally detects signs of fatigue and distraction on the driver’s face, which will be tested on 80 vehicles on routes 148 and 18.
London Cycling Campaign: RATP Dev London has teamed up with London Cycling to raise cyclist and pedestrian awareness about road safety on London roads. Two RATP Dev London depots will commit to the partnership.
Psychometric testing: an improved method for selecting drivers to identify high-risk applicants. The project is implemented by the RATP Dev London human resources team.
Leon Daniels, TfL's Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: ‘Making the bus network safer and reducing road danger are key priorities for us and the Mayor. We are pleased to have had so many innovative bids from our bus operators, and I look forward to seeing the results of the trials.
‘It is through the collaborative efforts of our operators and their drivers that we can move towards eradicating death and serious injury from the bus network, and making London's streets safer, better places for everyone.’
Jon Pike, Head of Safety and Risk at RATP Dev London, said: ‘We are proud to be able to help improve safety on London streets and on board our buses. Although the number of accidents occurring on our routes fell last year, it is still too high. We must constantly innovate and look for new ways to improve our safety record.’