Bus technicians at SBS Transit now use AI-powered system to inspect tyres

SINGAPORE – At Bedok North Bus Depot, technicians no longer find themselves under a bus, tools and torch in hand to check the condition of its tyres.

What was once time-consuming and physically demanding work can be done in minutes, thanks to an artificial intelligence-powered tyre management system installed in May 2023 and rolled out in November that year.

It used to take 30 to 40 minutes to check the six to eight tyres on each bus, said Mr Rajeshpal Singh, a technical officer at public bus operator SBS Transit, which operates the depot. Single-deck buses have six tyres, while double-deck buses have eight.

With the new system, tyres can be inspected automatically and a report on their condition generated in minutes.

Mr Singh, 39, was speaking to the media on Sept 12 during a visit to Seletar Bus Depot, where the new system will be rolled out by the end of 2025. The Ulu Pandan Bus Depot will also get this system by then.

Mr Jeffrey Sim, group chief executive of SBS Transit, said the new tyre management system has dramatically increased efficiency and productivity at the Bedok North depot.

It has also eased the load on technicians, who are responsible for the maintenance and repair of over 500 buses there. The company operates a total of 3,329 public buses.

Previously, because of the time it took to inspect each bus manually, the buses were inspected monthly. Since the new system was installed, buses are inspected every two to three days.

Mr Sim said the system has freed up 2,000 man-hours and generated $67,000 in cost savings annually.

Technicians now have time to focus on higher-grade jobs, such as learning how to use tools like the new tyre management system and how to make sense of the data it generates, he added.

For example, Mr Singh, who started out as a technician at SBS Transit 13 years ago, now uses the system’s data to decide which buses need maintenance and repairs most urgently, and deploy technicians accordingly.

The level of detail in its reports is such that he can even assign technicians to work on specific tyres.

Mr Sim said SBS Transit will upskill technicians and redesign jobs, with higher-grade jobs coming with higher wages.

He plans to roll out the system across SBS Transit’s six depots.

NTUC grant to fund new systems at Seletar, Ulu Pandan depots

To defray the cost of installing the tyre management system at its Seletar and Ulu Pandan depots, SBS Transit is tapping a grant managed by the National Trades Union Congress.

The Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant co-funds up to 70 per cent of the cost of projects that raise productivity, redesign jobs or improve staff prospects.

More than 500 companies have tapped the grant since 2022.

As a result, nearly 10,000 workers will get an average wage increase of 5 per cent above their typical annual increment, or clearer pathways for career progression, NTUC said in a statement on Sept 15.

This commitment to better wages and career prospects for workers is part of the conditions of the CTC Grant.

For example, as part of its grant, SBS Transit introduced in 2024 a new “Diagnostic Expert” Career Scheme and Career Development Plan that could benefit more than 50 workers.

So far, the programme has enrolled six workers in its first batch.

This plan features a structured career progression, a skills road map and better wages, NTUC said.

NTUC said it has seen a rise in the number of companies adopting AI-related initiatives under the CTC Grant, compared with 2024.

This highlights AI’s growing role in enhancing business operations and workforce efficiency, NTUC said.

In March 2025, it introduced the AI Transformation Blueprint, a step-by-step framework to help businesses identify gaps that can be filled by AI-related solutions.

SBS Transit could tap the CTC to train bus drivers to take on autonomous vehicle-related roles.

Two of its public bus services – 191 and 400 – have been picked for a trial of six driverless buses in 2026.

The CTC helps companies plan and roll out initiatives that prepare workers for future requirements.

It also helps firms to identify gaps in workers’ skills and provide training for their career development.

NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng visited Seletar Bus Depot on Sept 12 to learn about the new tyre management system.

“It is a needle-moving initiative, and it has benefited the company tremendously,” he said.

He said NTUC hopes to partner more companies to bring about not just general technological improvements, but more advanced, large-scale AI systems.

Lights, cameras, action: How the tyre management system works

The tyre management system is installed in a designated lane. All buses have to do is drive through this lane for a tyre inspection to be automatically triggered.

As a bus approaches, three cameras help the system identify the bus by its number plate.

Eight strobe lights detect the bus’ movement and light up its undercarriage for inspection.

Four other cameras capture images of tyre tread conditions and anomalies as they come into view, while two pressure plates of moving steel beams measure the tyre load forces – the maximum weight a tyre can safely carry.

A tyre tread is the patterned rubber surface on the outer circumference of a tyre that comes into contact with the road. It provides grip and traction to ensure safe vehicle control for accelerating, braking and turning.

The information collected is used to generate a report detailing tyre pressure readings, tread depth measurements and any tyre damage.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said SBS Transit had tapped the CTC Grant to train bus drivers for autonomous vehicle-related roles. NTUC has clarified that SBS Transit could tap the CTC – which helps firms plan and roll out initiatives that prepare workers for future requirements – for this purpose.