The driverless bus service would position Johor as the first state in the country to implement such a mode of transport.
JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) is set to introduce an autonomous, or driverless, bus service as a tourist route this year.
Johor Bahru Integrated Operations and Control Centre (JBIOCC) Urban Transport assistant director and commander Dr Choo Kok Wah said that the initiative would position Johor as the first state in the country to implement such a mode of transport for local and international tourists.
He said the procurement of the buses involved part of an allocation grant channelled by the Digital Ministry.
“In line with Visit Johor Year, the initial phase of operations will involve selected routes for tourist use,” he told Bernama.
He added that the high-tech transportation initiative is among the agenda items MBJB needs to implement to meet the requirements of the Malaysian Smart City rating.
Through the same allocation, MBJB has also acquired 30 units of mobile solar-powered closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which will be deployed at locations prone to illegal waste dumping, for monitoring and enforcement purposes.
In addition, he said MBJB plans to add three units of drones to support field operations, including area surveillance and early emergency response.
“These drones also have the potential to be used for emergency equipment delivery, such as Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public areas, in the event of cardiac emergencies,” he said.
In another development, he said MBJB plans to add about 2,000 units of AI-powered CCTV cameras to support the operations of the JBIOCC, which monitors the city.
He added that the cameras will be installed at major road intersections to facilitate traffic management, through real-time analysis of vehicle flow. The information collected will be used to adjust the duration of green traffic lights when congestion occurs at an intersection.
So far, 500 CCTV units, equipped with 15 artificial intelligence (AI) features, have been deployed across the city since the JBIOCC began operations in December 2023.
Equipped with a 12-metre display screen, the control centre monitors various aspects, including public safety, crime, disasters, traffic congestion, environmental cleanliness and road damage.
It is capable of detecting up to 10,000 incidents per month, with JBIOCC coordinating responses through information sharing with relevant departments and agencies, to ensure that swift action is taken within 24 hours.
