How technology is changing long-distance bus transport

Moments after checking in to our bus, my seatmate immediately put his phone-charging cable to a USB port at his seat. Mohammed Mustafa wanted to do a WhatsApp video call and his phone was running out of power.

The bus tablets switched on after we had left the stage. He picked his earphone and plugged it in one of the tablets fixed at the back of a chair in front of him.

He manoeuvred under movie section before switching to games, while I switched mine to reading section.

With the changing demands of modernity, bus companies playing long-distance routes have been forced to adapt to catch up with their riders’ technology.

It's a change from ancient buses that literary had just the seat — a non-adjustable seat — which, despite travelling through a picturesque environment, made you tired and worn out at the end of the journey.

Our modern bus, in comparison, was easy on the body. As Mustafa put it later on as we took dinner at the Mtito Andei stopover, “It feels comfortable. Nowadays it's more of the experience than just reaching your destination."

Adding, “I would rather pay Sh2,000 for the VIP bus than part with more for an airplane. Apart from the speed, the comfort is more or less the same.”

BID FOR RELEVANCE

Tech-driven transformation in other industries, such as manufacturing, education and production, has forced players in the transport sector to step up to remain relevant.

Over the years, buses have transited from bread-shaped like Akamba, Coastline and Tawfiq to sleek and luxurious as bus owners tap into trends in technology.

Adjusting to the changing tastes of the millennium rider has led to the adoption of features ranging from pneumatic doors to CCTV cameras, WiFi access to air conditioners, and inbuilt extinguishers operated at the touch of a button.

Dreamline Bus Company general manager Abdulraham Abdulaziz said these are not frivolous expenditures but necessary to stay ahead of the competition. 

“It's costly to have air-conditioned buses, but we need to catch up with the times, otherwise we risk losing some clients,” he said.

Some models are the China-made Yutong, which come already fitted with technological amenities. Apart from the WiFi, USB ports and bus pads, the air-conditioned buses have a dispenser and a fridge.

“If you have a good brand, you will have loyal customers. Passengers rushed to SGR when it was new, but now since our buses are modernised, we don’t feel threatened any more,” he said.

“We also introduced online booking. While some buses will wait for customers to come and book at the office, you can book at the comfort of your house. This way, you take advantage of technology and stay ahead of the competition.”

The high-tech Chinese buses have bodies built with light materials as opposed to locally fabricated bodies, which have metals and heavy materials. If the bus is light, Abdulaziz explained, it has less impact on passengers in case of accidents and consumes less fuel.

The company uses mobile apps to check the authenticity of a passenger’s ticket while boarding and to manage bookings.

During boarding, an attendant will stand at the door with a QR device and a mobile phone, which has the app, called Vdispatch.

The QR reads the bar code on the receipt and compares the information with the manifest in the Vdispatch using Bluetooth.

As Dreamline Nairobi branch manager Tobias Katana explains, “We can check if you have a fake ticket or not. Using the app, we make sure you don't board the wrong bus. Also, we confirm passengers who have checked in so we cannot leave anyone behind.” 

AUTO GEAR SYSTEM

Scania buses and coaches, for instance, come with opti-cruise gear system, an automated gear-changing system that eliminates the need for a gear lever and clutch pedal.

The absence of gear lever and clutch enables the driver to devote more attention to handling the vehicle and to other traffic, hence minimising the possibility of accidents.

Less mechanical work for the driver also means less fatigue, a factor that has been cited as a contributor to accidents.

Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority showed 3,123 people were killed in road accidents from January to November 2019, compared to 2,743 in a similar period in 2018. That is an increase of 380.

The opti cruise gear system interprets the bus load/weight and automatically picks the appropriate gear to start the bus off, in contrast to the past, when the driver used to pick gear 1 by default.

Scania East Africa sales manager Mohamed Ebrahim explained how this helps. “Letting the opti cruise select the gears precisely means the power train will not be strained, which is an advantage for the customer as this translates to less maintenance costs,” he said.

The buses also have a Fleet Manager System, which helps bus owners monitor and evaluate drivers' performance, fuel economy, speed of the bus and its location.

The bus is linked to the system through telematics hardware, embedded anonymously at factory level in the bus chassis to minimise chances of the driver tampering with it.

“If your driver is accelerating or braking harshly, the FMS will show you. That way, you can re-train your staff on the proper way to handle and drive the bus and do away with staff who are likely to cause accidents and bring about preventable wear-and-tear of your vehicle,” Ebrahim said.

Through the FMS, Scania After Sales can remotely diagnose faults in case of a break down in the midst of a trip using GPS (Global Positioning System).

More recently, buses with an extra axle at the back have flooded the highways.

Ebrahim explained the advantage of this. “The axle has a self-adjusting air suspension that ensures a smooth ride in bumpy areas. Passengers no longer fear sitting at the back because there is improved comfort. Passengers will pay a premium to use these buses because of comfort,” he said.

“If you are going to Kampala or Tanzania, you definitely need comfort.”

DRIVER’S WELFARE 

Other features in modernised buses include an adjustable steering wheel and a driver’s chair.

Julius Musyoka, a Truck, Buses and Generators sales engineer at Scania East Africa, said, “If the driver’s comfort is taken care of, the passengers can rest assured they will arrive at their destination safely.”

The modern buses also come with a computerised dashboard, where sensors send signals. “If any light malfunctions, the system will notify the driver through this,” Musyoka said, pointing at a screen on the dashboard.

The company has set up a simple training school at the Nairobi office to update drivers on the technology in the new buses. The two-day theory and practical lessons bring the drivers on bus companies up to speed with the new features, ending the training with a certificate.

Ebrahim said bus companies prefer tech-savvy buses for sustainability and safety purposes, adding that demand has increased over time.

Other companies using the new modern buses include Buscar, Ena Coach, Tahmeed, Mash, Modern Coast, Garissa Coach, Simba Coach and others.

Driven by competition, many bus companies have been forced to set up online portals to advertise their services.

While buses used to collect passengers along the way, they now only have essential stopovers and have more reliable schedules.

“When we started the Mombasa-Kisumu route in 2015, we were carrying only five passengers in a trip, but now we have three Kisumu buses plying to Kisumu, which are normally full,” Abdulaziz said, adding that winning customer trust is paramount in beating the competition.

Edited by T Jalio