A passenger security system for mass transit electric buses: a case study of the Kayoola EVS bus

Abstract

Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), a state-owned enterprise was established in 2011 to champion the development of the Ugandan automotive value chain for job and wealth creation. Kiira Motors Corporation has developed several electric vehicles on the African continent since 2011, key among them is the company’s market entry product; the Kayoola EVS, a fully electric, low floor city bus with a passenger capacity of ninety-one. Through the passenger security system, KMC sees to attain its core value of customer satisfaction and solve issues like rampant insecurity of passengers and their property which are not alien occurrences on commuter taxis and buses in many African cities. The system further seeks to address, the spread of contagious diseases like COVID-19 and its risks to bus passengers. And easen difficult, time consuming tasks like passenger counting, measuring/recording temperatures, and collecting contact information. The system data and requirements elicitation was conducted using techniques like surveys, interviews, observation, literature review, webinars and desk research. These qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted to offer insight on passenger security and mass public transport operations. A prototype of a comprehensive system comprising software and hardware components like cameras, web and mobile applications, was developed and its units’ functionality tested in an office environment. The developed system denotes potential to ensure security on the Kayoola EVS bus. It also implies averting spread of contagious diseases, timely capture of contact tracing records plus easier management and accountability for the numbers of passengers on buses.