APTA’s International Bus Roadeo will be held in Nashville, Tennessee this year from the 5th-9th May. Transit systems across North America will nominate their best bus operators to compete for the title of “National Champion – 2007”. The competition rigorously tests the skills of bus operators during timed events, as they manoeuvre their way around a challenging set of obstacles. This year, Vigil Systems, a market leading developer of on-road driver training systems, is supplying a bus operator assessment tool called VigilPassenger, as a trial to help streamline the judging and scoring process. This palm-sized device will objectively measure braking and cornering forces and produce an automatic “smoothness score”, to determine the driver’s ability to smoothly navigate the obstacles. VigilPassenger will also be used for automatic timekeeping and data collection to assist on-board judges in scoring the event.

Bus Roadeo contestants will also get a chance to see themselves “in action” driving the test circuit. The VigilVanguard on-road bus operator training system will be used to record contestants’ practice drives and video replay will be available for review after the competition. The VigilVanguard system is used by transit systems across North America for “real world” bus operator training and evaluation, providing unbiased feedback on a bus operator’s ability to drive a bus on the road. The system incorporates video, GPS and sensor technology as well as a Tablet PC to evaluate bus operator performance, and provide a moment-by-moment playback of a drive. This sophisticated system is highly beneficial to trainers and bus operators as it produces an automatic report and provides unbiased feedback on driving behavior to identify and correct the root cause of driving errors.

Mike Hennessy from the APTA Bus Roadeo Committee sees the collaboration with Vigil as a great step forward, stating that “We are proud to have Vigil as part of our professional team of judges, their dedication and commitment has been outstanding. Using the Vigil System technology during this year’s competition will greatly enhance the on-board judges ability to accurately assess the Operators performance during the Bus Roadeo. Future Roadeo's may require only half of the judges currently needed to judge safety habits, smoothness of operation and time as well as provide electronic scoring and instant replay.”

Through its partnership with the Committee, Vigil Systems plans to help further streamline traditional on-board judging and scoring processes. “With the multitude of advancements in technology, transit systems now have a wide range of tools at their disposal which can help improve safety and manage risk. Our training and evaluation systems reduce the costs and risks of accidents, as well as give operators a better understanding of their vehicle management capabilities,” said Brad Schultz of Vigil Systems.

APTA’s International Bus Roadeo is designed to encourage driving excellence and professionalism of bus operators. Similarly, Vigil Systems is committed to improving safety in the public transport sector and supporting the professional development of operators. Winning contestants will also receive a prize courtesy of Vigil Systems in further support of driving excellence.

For more information on the APTA International Bus Roadeo, visit www.apta.com