Beijing’s long-distance bus drivers have been given electronic wristbands with emotion-sensing technology to monitor their state of mind. The move was initiated by the state-run Beijing Public Transport Holding Group, to improve public safety as there had been several accidents in the recent past.

About 1,800 wristbands were distributed to bus drivers on cross-province and highway routes, as per a report by the official Beijing Daily. However, it is unclear how many drivers will be required to wear the devices.

The trial of the wristbands was performed on the bus drivers working in Beijing’s Tongzhou district and some central routes on June 1.

As per the report, the wristbands would monitor the drivers’ vital signs and emotional state in real-time. These bands would monitor body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure and sleep to correlate data and determine emotions such as anxiety. This data can be accessed by the public transport company in real-time.

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The new requirement was introduced just weeks ahead of the ruling Communist Party’s five-yearly congress in Beijing for which the officials across China have been told to minimise social risks.

It also comes after several accidents including a recent incident in which 27 people were killed and 20 injured in a bus crash in the southern city of Guiyang in Guizhou.

However, the legality and the need for wristbands have been questioned by some social activists and experts. Many have argued that there is a need to collect so much personal information from bus drivers. Also, if these devices do detect drivers in distress, will there be time to intervene remains a crucial doubt.

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(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)