Collision prevention systems will soon be on all Tulsa Transit buses, but it’s costing a bit more than expected.
There are 21 fixed-route buses left to install Mobileye systems on. This week’s transit board agenda asked them to approve $12,000 for the work, but they approved up to $33,000.
Tulsa Transit General Manager Bill Cartwright said the supplier’s installation estimate was below the installer’s actual rate.
"I don't know how many of these packages they've sold to transit bus systems, and it may be the vehicle itself and it just costs more to install it on a large transit bus," Cartwright said.
There's only one licensed Mobileye installer, Oesco, in the Tulsa area. The systems include a sensor and display.
"If the driver gets out of his lane or if he's approaching a car too quickly or it looks as though an impact is imminent, the sensor will go off and give him an alert, and he'll be able to avoid the accident," Cartwright said.
Cartwright said Mobileye has already prevented a rear-end crash that could have cost up to $25,000.
"It was about a $75,000 system, so we've almost paid for a third of it and we're not even through installing the units," Cartwright said. "In terms of safety, we think it's one of the best things we've ever done."
The Mobileye system Tulsa Transit selected has an option to collect driving data. That capability was not discussed by the transit board.
