Saudi Gazette report
MAKKAH — Monitoring compliance with transport regulations by bus drivers using virtual reality smart glasses required a maximum of one minute during Hajj 2023.
In a video published by the Saudi Center for Government Communication (CGC), it was revealed that the smart VR glasses, which were launched by the Transport General Authority (TGA), are being used for the first time in this year’s Hajj.
The virtual reality smart glasses read bus plates and fetch information from the TGA’s systems.
The glasses also monitor violations by drivers. They detect any violations of the regulations, record them directly and immediately issue violation tickets.
In case a technical failure is detected in any bus, the trip is immediately stopped and an alternative bus is provided to continue the trip on the same route.
Vehicle inspection with smart glasses is very fast, as the whole process takes less than a minute.
The main objective of the Authority in installing these smart devices is to raise compliance by monitoring violations.
One of the officers from the monitoring team that uses the smart glasses said in a published video that the glasses were displayed at the LEAP exhibition.
The LEAP, he added, represents a global platform and an exceptional event that hosts experts of future technologies from all over the world, and now we are witnessing their application in this season’s pilgrimage.
He stated that through these modern technologies, they were striving to minimize human intervention.
He pointed out that the Authority also used drone technology that has 18 indicators called “Masar-track” to check on the density and smoothness of movement in all locations that have transportation services this Hajj season.
In one of the locations where the drone was used, 1.6 million pilgrims were transported after the buses were checked and found safe.
The compliance rate by buses so far this year ranged from 85% to 90%, “which is a good thing”, the official said.