KSRTC to install ADAS in 100 buses across Karnataka to boost road safety

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to equip 100 of its buses with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to track driver behaviour and warn them of road hazards in real-time.

According to KSRTC officials, the safety systems will be rolled out across 17 divisions in Karnataka. The installation and commissioning of the technology are scheduled to take place between November 2026 and October 2027.

The initiative follows a similar move by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which recently announced plans to put ADAS in 50 of its city buses for a pilot project.

How the safety systems will work

The ADAS units will combine cameras, sensors, GPS, and NavIC satellite navigation to monitor both the road and the person behind the wheel. Each bus will have a forward-facing camera to scan the traffic ahead and a second camera aimed directly at the driver, alongside other hardware to monitor the vehicle's surroundings.

A senior KSRTC official said the system is designed to spot several immediate risks on the road. These include forward collision threats, lane drifting, pedestrians, and tailgating. When the technology flags a hazard, it will instantly alert the driver using visual warnings, sounds, and buzzer alarms.

Meanwhile, the inward-facing camera will watch the driver for signs of fatigue or distraction. It will be capable of identifying drowsiness, yawning, prolonged eye closure, mobile phone use, and driver absence from the seat. The system can also monitor the driver's general posture and attention while the bus is moving.

Cloud tracking and data storage

All the data and safety alerts gathered by the ADAS units will be transmitted over 4G LTE to a cloud-based fleet management and analytics platform. The hardware will also feature substantial onboard storage to save recorded video and event data locally.

This setup will allow transport officials to monitor buses, review safety alerts, and download video footage of specific incidents, such as sudden braking or collision warnings. KSRTC officials said the data will also be used to generate long-term driver behaviour reports.

The state transport corporation has issued a tender for the project. The chosen contractor will be responsible for supplying, installing, and commissioning the systems at designated locations across Karnataka. KSRTC has also stipulated that the contractor must provide a three-year comprehensive warranty and guarantee that spare parts will be available for at least 10 years.

By introducing the technology, KSRTC expects to gain much better visibility into vehicle movements and driver habits, helping the corporation build a clearer picture of road safety across its extensive state network.