Newport Transport has retrofitted 31 of its Yutong battery-electric buses with Journeo’s digital wing mirror Camera Monitor System (CMS). Another 12 are set to have the tech installed at a later date.
The announcement, made by supplier Journeo, comes after a trial period, where Newport Transport said it was “impressed” by the robust construction and performance of CMS.
CMS uses high-definition cameras and screens mounted in the cab to show vulnerable road users, eliminate blind spots and increase visibility in all weather conditions. The exterior cameras are smaller than wing mirrors, reducing the risk of strikes with road infrastructure, trees or other objects.
The operator says its team was pleased with the automatic adjustment between day and night settings that needs no action on the part of the driver, as well as the general design, which keeps computing components inside the vehicle, making it easy to replace or repair if the camera is damaged.
According to Journeo, the system has seen an estimated 115% increase in the distance driven between accidents when in use. That, it says, has seen a reduction of 60% in accident costs, and has reduced maintenance costs by 40% with a return on investment of just 18 months in some cases.
“When we trialled the Journeo CMS we were particularly impressed by the quality of the images it provides to drivers, giving them a much better view compared to mirrors,” says Scott Pearson, Managing Director of Newport Transport. “Increasing the safety of road users is a key part of our aim to make our services greener, smarter and safer, as we encourage the public to make the switch to green, fully electric public transport.”
Adds Mark Johnson, Director of Fleet Systems at Journeo: “The Journeo CMS is a proven on-vehicle technology that is capable of increasing safety for road users and the public, while decreasing transport costs.
“Newport Transport has recognised the benefits and taken the forward-thinking decision to replace wing mirrors with the system. We are seeing more and more regional bus operators follow their lead and choosing to install this system to make their drivers’ lives easier and to protect their local communities.”
CMS can be installed new in factories, or retrofitted to “many types of vehicles”, allowing standardisation across fleets – backed by training, support, and Journeo’s field service team.
