Abu Dhabi motorists to be fined Dh1,000 for driving too close to school buses

Motorists who fail to follow the rule will also incur 10 traffic points

Hundreds of thousands of pupils are taken to and from school each day using American-style yellow buses. Though not mandatory, many parents choose the service over a hectic morning run in their own car. Satish Kumar / The National

Fees of several thousand dirhams per year are common, with schools typically outsourcing the service to a provider. Jaime Puebla / The National

Large schools such as Indian High School, pictured, have a fleet of their own vehicles, drivers and attendants that ferry pupils around the city in a complex operation. Ruel Pableo / The National

Before the summer break, several schools said they will have to increase prices in line with fuel prices, while others said they would take the hit instead of passing it on to parents. Satish Kumar / The National

One school said it wanted to invest in biofuel vehicles for environmental reasons and to safeguard against future hikes in petrol and diesel. Pawan Singh / The National

Abu Dhabi Police have released a video on social media reminding motorists to halt when school buses have their 'stop' sign in use.

Drivers who fail to do so will incur a fine of Dh1,000 and receive 10 penalty points on their licences.

Police said the sign requires all vehicles on both sides of the bus to stop at a minimum distance of five metres.

School bus drivers who do not use the ‘stop’ sign will be fined Dh500 and six traffic points will be added to their licences.

As per rules by the Department of Municipalities and Transport’s Integrated Transport Centre in Abu Dhabi, school bus drivers must also use their hazard lights when pupils are crossing roads from designated areas.

This is a part of a new campaign called ‘For Your Safety and Your Children Are In Safe Hands’ that focuses on increasing school bus safety during the new academic year.

Safety rules require bus drivers to carry out daily maintenance checks on the vehicles.

They must obey speed limits, ensure they keep to the designated routes and see that the bus is empty at the end of their journeys.