SBS Transit to pilot smart bus braking system in 2026

An active braking system designed to detect road hazards early and minimise the risk of injury to passengers during emergency braking will be tested on some public buses in the first half of 2026.

- Esther Loi

SBS Transit said on May 8 that its new responsive and adaptive braking system will be developed with Chinese artificial intelligence company Streamax and Singapore-based surveillance solutions firm TNT Surveillance, following the inking of an agreement in April 2025.

The system will incorporate the use of radar sensors and cameras to continuously monitor the surroundings of the bus, detecting hazards and responding within 40 milliseconds—more than 35 times faster than the average human reaction time—to avert accidents.

By detecting targets up to 150m ahead—earlier than a human driver may notice—the system can apply moderate braking over a longer distance.

Automatic braking will also kick in to ensure the bus keeps a safe distance, such as if a car swerves into its lane or a pedestrian steps out in front of the bus suddenly.

Even while ensuring the bus stops safely in such cases, the braking force would be gentler than a human driver's harsh braking, SBS Transit said.