ComfortDelGro Australia

With the goal of taking its safety and sustainability to the next level, ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), one of Australia’s largest bus operators, began looking for a driver behavior-focused telematics solution. After consulting with Metroline, its sister company in the ComfortDelGro Group, CDC selected GreenRoad, the leader in safety telematics and driver behavior management solutions, and began planning a fleet-wide deployment.

ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) General Manager Corporate Development and Sustainability Mark Gerstel said, “We were impressed with the results Metroline had achieved using GreenRoad and by the system’s unique holistic approach to fleet safety and sustainability. It was also important that GreenRoad could integrate easily with the Mobileye 6 ADAS systems already deployed on our buses, giving us a single system that covered all the safety bases.”

After a successful trial, CDC began Australia’s first fleetwide implementation of the integrated GreenRoad/Mobileye platform. First, it installed GreenRoad’s Edge™ Solution on bus dashboards to provide its drivers with real-time feedback about their driving. In addition, drivers independently downloaded the GreenRoad Drive™ app onto their personal mobile phones for post-trip checking of their safety scores and performance reviews.

From a technological standpoint, the GreenRoad platform was integrated with CDC’s existing Mobileye 6 ADAS system and Blink, CDC’s driver communications platform, using a seamless SSO (Single Sign On) process. In addition, an API was developed to integrate the GreenRoad/Mobileye data with other CDC systems.

A joint CDC/GreenRoad implementation team handled the rollout of the solution across CDC Australia’s ~1,700 buses. To prepare for CDC’s self-installation of the system’s hardware components, GreenRoad trained CDC’s mechanics and installers, and an ERP project management system was put into place. Installations in eight depots were completed in three months, with weekly progress meetings held between GreenRoad and CDC to address challenges as they arose.

To assure union buy-in, CDC provided an information session to union representatives, with a demonstration of the system’s “carrot” rather than “stick” approach (“coaching not catching”) to driver safety. They gave their support to the system as a tool that encourages professional, life-saving habits.

Immediately before the system launch, the CDC rolled out a communications program to educate and motivate the drivers. The system was deployed for several weeks “blind” and then powered up live.

At the end of the program’s first 4 weeks, the positive impact was already being felt:

• Dramatic improvement in Safety Scores: According to Doug Nyman, CDC Victoria’s General Manager of Network Performance, “We quickly saw fantastic results in the overall safety scores, which continue to improve dramatically right across the board. We’ve got a bunch of guys with their chests puffed out around the depot, challenging all their teammates to match their scores.” One indication of the level of driver engagement is the drivers’ increased utilization of CDC’s Blink app, through which they check their safety scores and trip histories, which has increased from ~60% to ~85% since the system launch.
• Driver reaction – strong buy-in to the system: the workforce has responded enthusiastically to the system. While some worried that the more conservative driving habits encouraged by the system would cause them to be late, in actual fact, their on-schedule performance has improved. In addition, there has been improvement in the CDC’s ‘slips, trips, and falls’ statistics and customer satisfaction indicators.
• Management usage: use of the system has enabled management to identify idling and incident hotspots and to take steps to address them. In addition, they have begun submitting the system’s location data as part of its testimonies in government road planning sessions.
• Expected results: GreenRoad’s data from a range of customers shows that the system, on average, reduces collisions by up to 70% in the first year of use while also reducing fuel consumption by up to 5%.

Commenting on the program as a whole, ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia(CDC) General Manager of Business Development Steven Atchison said, “We are highly impressed by the results we have achieved from GreenRoad so far, and look forward to extending its benefits across all our operations. We are grateful to have found a tool that so ably supports our commitment to safety and sustainability.”

Further Reading: Driver Safety