AI Cameras: Sri Lanka’s New Backseat Driver for Bus Safety

If you’ve ever clutched the seat in a long-distance Sri Lankan bus as the driver overtook on a blind bend, here’s some gossip worth spreading: the government’s rolling out AI cameras — and they might just be the backseat driver we’ve all secretly wished for.

From Sci-Fi to the Southern Expressway

On Tuesday, under the blazing Kataragama sun, Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Rathnayake kicked off a pilot project that could turn reckless bus driving into a thing of the past. Forty buses — both state-run and private — are being fitted with artificial intelligence camera systems to keep drivers in check.

This isn’t just about catching speed demons after the fact. The AI eyes can spot:

Drooping eyelids and micro-sleeps.

Drivers fiddling with their phones or ignoring seatbelts.

Traffic violations before they turn into hospital visits.

When something’s off, the system sends alerts to the driver and — here’s the twist — can feed back to the fleet managers who might be sipping tea in an office miles away.

Why This Matters

Globally, AI cameras have been used to curb everything from speeding to tailgating. Singapore’s using them to adjust traffic lights in real time. Dubai’s got them clocking tailgaters and lane drifters. And in the UK, they’re spotting broken-down cars in under 20 seconds on the motorway.

For Sri Lanka, where long-distance buses have a well-earned reputation for hair-raising stunts, this could be the biggest behavioural shake-up since seatbelt laws.

The First Test

The Kataragama Depot was ground zero for the launch, with several buses fitted up during the minister’s inspection tour. Onlookers watched as technicians calibrated the cameras — no doubt wondering how many “usual suspects” on the bus routes will get called out.

Fleet managers are already eyeing the potential for better scheduling, fewer breakdowns, and a drop in accident stats. Drivers, however, are split — some welcome the tech as a safeguard, while others mutter that “the bus already has enough eyes on it.”

The Gossip in the Garage

Word among depot crews is that if this pilot works — fewer crashes, happier passengers — the rollout could go nationwide. But there’s also a whisper of worry: with AI logging every blink and lane change, will drivers feel micromanaged to the point of paranoia?

AI-based cameras won’t just punish bad behaviour — they can prevent accidents before they happen. If Sri Lanka’s buses embrace this tech, those terrifying “Colombo to Kataragama in record time” stories might finally become part of folklore, not the news.