Centrad – a business with camera technology at its heart – is keeping watch over compliance in the industry
“Turning a crisis into an opportunity” is how Geoff Cross describes becoming a bus operator at the age of just 17, and it is that problem-solving approach which has driven him in his role as founder and Managing Director of Centrad.
In 2006, when his Central Buses operation was in its infancy and Geoff was unable to find a cost-effective electronic destination blind solution on the market, he partnered with a manufacturer in the Far East to produce his own retrofit product. Centrad was born later that year when he started selling the displays to other coach and bus operators.
Then, in 2008, another challenge was the catalyst for a further market opening. The Birmingham operator was subject to rising insurance premiums after being hit by fraudulent “crash for cash” claims. In one incident, it faced injury claims from 25 individuals who were supposedly on a bus when it knew there were no more than two passengers. With no way of disproving it, Geoff knew CCTV could provide protection in future. The following year, Centrad launched a four-camera digital CCTV system onto the market after it had been trialled on Central Buses.
An expanding range
The product range has grown and, with Central Buses sold to Rotala in 2017, Geoff has concentrated his efforts on expanding Centrad, which most recently reported a £4 million turnover. Using his own experience as an operator, he has identified gaps in the market for AI-based cameras, dash cameras, in-cab blind-spot monitors, mobile digital video cameras, GPS tracking, and passenger-counting software – all of which can be controlled from within the Centrad Live telematics platform.
To date and across several industries, it boasts more than 15,000 successful installations and 500 million miles monitored. It claims its products have led to a 65% reduction in speeding and are responsible for a 100% successful defence rate in fraudulent accident claims.
Prevention is key
Safety and security are at the heart of Centrad’s product range. The initial benefit has tended in the past to be seen as reactive – for example, providing evidence after a break-in or a road traffic collision. However, Geoff points out that the technology is increasingly being used preventatively.
He recalls an incident at Central Buses in which a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel was involved in a collision that could have had very serious consequences. Geoff says that, on investigation, it turned out the driver’s lifestyle was leading to ongoing fatigue issues.
This technology saves fleets a lot of money and it can keep drivers in jobs. It’s there to protect and help the driver – Geoff Cross
Centrad’s latest AI-led driver status monitoring system may have prevented that. Geoff says: “If a driver is suffering with fatigue, the system today would alert the driver there’s a fatigue issue, but it would also give data-led insights and alerts to the management office.” The system also identifies distraction, smoking, phone use, and eating and drinking.
However, the technology should be seen as protecting rather than penalising drivers. “Drivers can be quite anti-technology,” says Geoff. “They think it’s being used against them, but when the technology is used to defend and assist them, a lot of the time they wouldn’t necessarily find out about it. They would only get brought into the office when there was an issue that needed addressing.
“I think where we can probably do better as an industry is involve drivers more in terms of the technology, so they get better buy-in from drivers and unions, and actually this technology saves fleets a lot of money and it can keep drivers in jobs. It’s there to protect and help the driver and be a safeguarding tool for them. I think it’s just about educating the drivers.”
Further Centrad products can also aid the driver by supplying features such as tailgating or lane-departure alerts, and detecting pedestrians, cyclists, low bridges and traffic light status.
AI and the future
Aside from safety, another use of Centrad’s technology, particularly with the advent of AI, is better analysis of data. “There’s so much data there, it can be quite overwhelming, but use of AI will really help streamline that for operators and make it less overwhelming and more useful,” says Geoff.
One example is Centrad’s recently launched passenger-counting technology. CenCount uses advanced deep-learning algorithms to deliver a claimed 98% accuracy rating, which enables operators to identify fare evasion, see real-time boarding levels and optimise route planning and scheduling.
The current outlook on the technology front means it is a good time for operators to consider investing in hardware, he says. “From a hardware point of view, I don’t see much change now and I think it’s a good time for operators to look at what they’ve got,” he points out.
Looking to future changes, he says: “I think, in terms of where the Centrad business moves forward, it will be more platform development. We’re very fortunate that we’ve got our own full-time in-house development team based in Dubai and the Philippines that we employ and control. So, if a customer comes in with a request, we can develop the solution very quickly.” Geoff sees the use of AI-led data insights as the growth area in such technology.
The young entrepreneur
Although Geoff notes that the coach and bus sectors tend to always be “a bit behind haulage”, the industry is worlds apart from the one that Geoff entered 23 years ago. Having started out working for another operator, Geoff incorporated Central Buses when he was just 16.
Explaining how it happened when he was so young, he says: “I think it’s partly that I turned a crisis into an opportunity, probably because I went to work for the business and, essentially, I didn’t like being told what to do. The business was suffering and my view was that those people in more senior positions hadn’t got a clue what they were doing and were causing all this damage, and I could probably do a better job than them.”
Although unable to drive and too young to open a business bank account, armed with a £5,000 loan from his father, Geoff began his one-vehicle operation not long after his 17th birthday by serving route 7 between Perry Common and Birmingham city centre.
Winning Small Bus Operator of the Year at the 2015 and 2016 routeone Awards, Central Buses had 31 vehicles and more than 50 staff when it was sold. “At the time, the industry was starting to become more regulated, and there was a lot more investment required with low-emission zones, etc,” he says. “So, I think I probably took the bus operation as far as I could.”
With the focus since wholly on Centrad, Geoff is excited about the potential for expansion and the growth of AI. What began as a practical fix for problems in his own fleet has become an ever-growing suite of products serving the safety and security of the whole industry.
