KSRTC to install 100 ADAS systems in buses across Karnataka

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is set to install 100 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in its buses to improve road safety, monitor driver behaviour and provide real-time alerts on potential hazards.

Recently, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) also announced plans to install ADAS technology in 50 buses as part of a pilot project.

According to KSRTC officials, the systems will be deployed across the corporation’s divisions in Karnataka, with installation and commissioning expected to be carried out between November 2026 and October 2027. The systems are expected to be installed at locations covering 17 KSRTC divisions across the State.

The ADAS units will combine cameras, sensors, GPS, and connectivity features to monitor both the road environment and the driver’s behaviour. The system will include a forward-facing road camera and a driver-monitoring camera, along with other cameras and hardware required for monitoring the surroundings of the bus.

A senior KSRTC official said: “The system is designed to detect several potential road-safety risks, including forward collision risks, lane departure, pedestrians, insufficient distance from vehicles ahead and other hazardous situations. It will also provide alerts to drivers through visual, audible, and buzzer warnings.”

“The driver-monitoring component will focus on identifying signs of fatigue and distraction. It will be capable of detecting drowsiness, yawning, prolonged eye closure, mobile-phone use, driver distraction and driver absence, among other behaviours. The system is also designed to monitor certain aspects of driver posture and attention while the bus is in operation,” the official explained.

The ADAS units will have 4G LTE connectivity and GPS/NavIC support, allowing vehicle and event-related information to be transmitted for monitoring and analysis. The specifications also provide for substantial onboard storage for recorded video and event data.

KSRTC officials said that the system will be linked to a cloud-based fleet management and analytics platform. This will enable authorised personnel to monitor vehicles, review safety alerts and access relevant video footage associated with incidents or detected events. The system is expected to support the retrieval of event-related video, allowing incidents such as sudden braking, collision warnings or driver-related safety alerts to be examined. The specifications also provide for driver-behaviour analysis and reporting.

The KSRTC tender requires the selected agency to be responsible for supplying, installing, and commissioning the systems in KSRTC buses at designated locations. The corporation has also specified three years of comprehensive warranty support, along with availability of spare parts for at least 10 years.

Officials added that the deployment is expected to give KSRTC access to data on both vehicle movement and driver behaviour, potentially providing officials with a broader picture of safety-related events across the fleet.