Chinese electronics giant Hisense Group will provide intelligent solutions for public bus services in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, in partnership with Shandong Hi-Speed Group.

In a tight competition with several foreign bidding companies in last December, the two companies from East China's Shandong province won the bid for the Ethiopian smart bus project.

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

This is the first overseas intelligent transportation integration project to be built by Hisense TransTech, a subsidiary of Hisense Group, which also means that China's intelligent transportation technology standards have begun to systematically enter the overseas market.

The construction of the smart bus project in Addis Ababa will last 21 months, said Mou Sangang, general manager of International Business Department of Hisense TransTech. After completion, it will provide real-time bus information via APPs and electronic passenger information screens for citizens. Public transportation enterprises can realize the real-time monitoring, remote control and intelligent scheduling of buses, as well as real-time data analytics for traffic conditions and other fields.

Addis Ababa is one of the largest cities in Africa, with a resident population of about 5 million. Taking buses is an important way for local citizens to travel.

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

"The upgrading of public transport is expected to play a major role in aiding passengers, and ease traffic jams during peak hours," Mou said.

According to local authorities, the intelligent public transportation system constructed by Hisense will enhance the operation capacity of local buses and improve the local transportation service level.

"Ethiopia's hardware infrastructure is constantly improving, especially in the capital Addis Ababa. However, due to the lack of an advanced management mode and intelligent technology, there is still a lot of room for improvement," said Chen Xiaowen, a senior manager of Hisense TransTech, one of the first representatives to enter Ethiopia.

Chen has completed Hisense branch's registration in Ethiopia, and has initially established an implementation team together with his colleagues.

Hisense's smart bus system project will boost the development of local public transportation for at least 20 years.

Hisense, which has been involved in China's intelligent transportation market since 1998, has claimed the lead. Hisense's innovative, integrated solutions for the industry have been applied in 169 cities nationwide.

According to the company, its rapid bus transit solutions account for 70 percent of the domestic market share, and its sales of traffic light controller systems rank first in the country.

"In the future, Hisense will continue to promote its intelligent transportation solutions in the global marketplace," Mou said.