The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) will test new cameras that could replace the mirrors on its buses, in order to improve user safety and driver behavior. Two buses will be involved initially, but if all goes well, this equipment could be extended to the rest of the fleet.
Posted at 10:38 a.m.
“What this will above all allow is for visibility to be improved for our drivers. They will find themselves looking at a screen in their passenger compartment rather than a mirror in a window where there may, for example, be reverberation, ”says STM spokesperson Philippe Déry. He affirms that already, the first comments of the employees are “very positive”.
During a left turn, a standard mirror can indeed help to “temporarily increase the blind spot” of the bus driver. “With a camera system like this, we rule out that. There is also a notion of durability and reliability, because mirrors are replaced often, almost on a daily basis, ”says Mr. Déry, who considers that savings could thus be made with these cameras.
In addition, the transport company hopes to reduce the risk of its mirrors catching on pedestrians, cyclists or even street furniture. Although relatively rare, these incidents do occasionally occur on the Island of Montreal.
An opinion from the SAAQ
Equipped with two cameras – one on each side of the bus – and two high-definition screens linked to these cameras, this new system costs around $ 14,000 per unit, according to figures from the STM.
The company will test the cameras on two of its buses in the coming days, having done so in a closed course in recent months. One of the avowed goals of the project is also to offer more visibility to drivers in difficult conditions, in particular at night, during backlighting, in a tunnel or during episodes of heavy rain or heavy snow.
If everything is conclusive, “we could take the decision to extend it to the rest of the network,” said the spokesperson, who however recalls that authorization from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) will be required. . A report will be submitted to the government body at the end of this pilot project.
The unit cost of the system could be “reduced” if the next order for “rear-view cameras” is larger, the carrier said in passing.
At the end of December, calculating that it will again be faced with a costly drop in ridership, the STM indicated that it will continue to offer a declining service on its metro and bus networks in 2022. “The adjustment of -3.5% for the bus sector and -5% for the metro sector compared to the budgeted offer in 2019 will allow the STM to reduce its spending by 21.3 million in 2022 compared to the budget. 2021 ”, indeed indicated the company in its annual budget, published the same day as that of the City of Montreal.