Representatives of Hisense Group and Shandong Hi-Speed Group sign a cooperation agreement with the local government of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 14 for smart bus service. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 

 

  Chinese electronics giant Hisense Group has signed an agreement with the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — the country's capital — to help the city improve public bus service through intelligent solutions.

 

  It is the first project for Hisense in the overseas smart traffic sector. Chinese companies have the capability to export high-standard transportation technology to the overseas market, the company said.

 

  Hisense is based in Qingdao, Shandong province.

 

  Under the March 14 agreement, the company will leverage its accumulated experience in smart traffic to build a new public bus system for the Ethiopian capital over the next 21 months.

 

  "After the project is completed, local residents will be able to acquire real-time bus information through mobile applications or electronic screens at bus stops," said Mu Sangang, general manager of international department of Hisense TransTech, a subsidiary of Hisense Group.

 

 

  A bus station in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 

 

  The new system also enables public bus service providers to carry out real-time monitoring, remote control and intelligent scheduling, Mu told reporters in an online news briefing on Friday.

 

  It will also help transit managers balance capacity and passenger flow, he added.

 

  Addis Ababa is one of the largest cities in Africa with a population of about 5 million. Traffic congestion in the city is a major problem. Buses are an important means of getting around the city, with long lines of passengers at bus stations during peak hours. It usually takes half an hour for a passenger to get onto a bus.

 

  During the signing ceremony, city officials said they expected the new system to make a big difference.

 

  The public bus service transformation project in Addis Ababa is supported by a loan from the World Bank. Hisense, in partnership with Shandong Hi-Speed Group, won the bid in December.

 

  Chen Xiaowen, an engineer at Hisense, is currently the leader of the company's team responsible for the project. He said the project is expected to help the city fill a 20 year gap in development and that his team will make the project a model for the company's overseas expansion.