World’s First ‘Smart’ Bus Stop Tested in Singapore

A new smart bus stop that aims to improve commuters’ waiting experience is being put to the test in front of Plaza Singapura, ST Engineering announced on Monday (Mar 12).

Touted as a “world first”, the Airbitat Oasis Smart Bus Stop tackles heat and air pollution to improve the environment at the bus stop.

It features cooling technology which draws in heated ambient air before cooling it to as low as 24 degrees Celsius.  It also has an inbuilt air purifier system to filter out harmful airborne particles. The pure, cool air is then delivered directly to commuters’ at the bus stop through overhead nozzles.

The air pumped out at the blowers is more than 90 per cent cleaner, but as it mixes with the ambient air, this drops to about 50 per cent, he said.

“It’s still a lot better than the outdoor conditions. You can actually smell the clean air, and not smell the bus’ exhaust,” said the head of Innosparks, Gareth Tang to The Straits Times. Innosparks is an ST Engineering Open Lab.  

According to Channel News Asia, other features of the bus stop include embedded sensors which can track commuter traffic, computer systems to identify suspicious activities and interactive panels that display real-time information about the environment. 

By harnessing technology and innovation to land transport infrastructure, even “simple daily activities such as waiting for a bus can be greatly improved", Mr Tang said. 

The smart bus stop will be tested for 12 months, and findings from the trial will be shared with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and other government agencies. 

“We are pleased to provide a platform for innovative ideas to be test-bedded to improve land transport ... We welcome more local companies to test-bed ideas that could help make commuting more pleasant,” LTA’s group director for public transport Yeo Teck Guan said.