By The Integrated Transport Centre (ICT) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has taken a number of qualitative initiatives that contribute to achieving the highest levels of security and safety for students on school buses and ensure the provision of safe and easy transport services for more than 155,000 students throughout the emirate.
This comes as part of ICT’s preparations for the new academic year, 2022-2023, and within the campaign of “For Your Safety” under the title of “Your Children are in Safe Hands” that aims at enhancing communication with parents and the relevant entities of school transport.
Furthermore, the ITC emphasised that school bus drivers, as well as supervisors and operators must entirely comply with all the requirements and regulations set for school transport buses in order to provide safe and secure transport for students.
The ITC stated that it is the responsibility of the bus drivers to conduct daily maintenance checks of the vehicle to ensure its safety, reiterating that adherence to speed limits and designated bus routes, as well as the proper use of the side-mounted “Stop” sign that requires a complete stop for all vehicles on both sides of the bus, within a distance of no less than five meters, also falls under the responsibility of the school bus driver.
The ITC added that not stopping when the bus left-mounted “Stop” sign is in use incurs a fine of 1,000 AED and 10 traffic points on its violator, which is automatically monitored. Bus drivers must also use flasher lights when students are crossing roads and street.
Moreover, bus supervisors are not to permit any student to disembark the vehicle, except at the designated areas. They must also ensure that the bus is free of students after finishing every round.
Supervisors are also responsible for ascertaining that all students are wearing their seatbelts, ensuring the availability of a first aid kit on the bus at all times, and assisting students under the age of 11 to cross roads and deliver them safely to their guardians.
Additionally, the ITC asserted that it is within the responsibility of bus supervisors to make sure that the guardian of each student is present at the bus arrival point if their children are under the age of 11. It is also the bus supervisor’s responsibility to inform and advise children on the importance of adhering to safety measures during the bus journey.
The ITC also stressed the need for schools and operating entities to regularly sanitise school buses as part of the general measures that contribute to maintaining students’ health and safety.
The ITC also urges parents and the public to report any violations by bus drivers, or in case of any remarks observed regarding the safety or security of school buses by calling the Abu Dhabi government call centre on 800555.
On the other hand, the ITC has organised a number of awareness-raising workshops – under the Joint Committee for Traffic Safety – for school bus drivers and supervisors, which were centered around educating them on school transport safety, the importance of adhering to traffic safety regulations, the importance of paying the utmost attention to the safety of students, and ensuring that school bus safety requirements are met at all times.
