Abu Dhabi increases school bus safety ahead of new academic year

Supervisors must ensure children wear their seatbelts and all pupils get off the bus at the end of their rounds

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’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) says it is improving safety and security on school buses before the new academic year starts next week.

Bus drivers must carry out daily maintenance checks on the vehicles, obey speed limits and ensure they keep to the designated routes as part of the two new initiatives.

Drivers who fail to heed the stop signs on school buses will incur a fine of Dh1,000 and receive ten penalty points on their licences.

They must stop at a distance of no less than five metres from the bus when the stop sign is activated.

Pupils will not be allowed to disembark a school bus at anywhere but the officially designated areas, as part of the new campaigns which are called For Your Safety and Your Children Are In Safe Hands.

Bus supervisors will also be responsible for ensuring children wear their seat belts at all times and see that the bus is empty at the end of their rounds.

A six-year-old boy died in Dubai three years ago when he was left on board a school bus during the summer heat.

Pupils under the age of 11 must also be assisted across the road by school bus supervisors in Abu Dhabi, who are also responsible for ensuring a first aid kit is on board and adequately stocked.

“It is the responsibility of bus supervisors to make sure that the guardian of each pupil is present at the bus arrival point if their children are under the age of 11,” state news agency Wam said.

“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 said schools and operators must ensure buses are properly cleaned to ensure the health and safety of pupils.

The centre also advised parents and the public to report any violations to the Abu Dhabi government on 800 555.