Dedicated bus lanes could ease early morning congestion on roads

Authorities should look into providing special lanes similar to those in operation in many European countries to tackle the issue of traffic congestion, say education experts.

All parents should opt for school buses or public transport, says the head of STS Transport. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Traffic chiefs in Dubai were urged on Sunday to introduce bus lanes to ease congestion and reduce school journey times for children.

“They are common in other countries so perhaps something similar could be introduced in Dubai,” said Clive Pierrepont, director of communications for Taaleem, a private school operator.

“They could also be used for public transport and taxis as well as the emergency services and, in case of an accident, allow for diversions.

“Obviously it would not apply during the summer months when schools are closed but I think it’s something that should be looked into and considered.”

The priority was to make sure the journey to and from school was as safe as possible for children, Mr Pierrepont said.

“We welcome the recent changes to the rules that mean schools have to start using larger buses. Most people give these vehicles plenty of space on the road so they are much safer.”

Taaleem’s school bus operator aims to keep travel times down to no longer than an hour but it was not always possible to do that, Mr Pierrepont said.

“We have some pupils travelling as far as 50km to our schools so that obviously means travel times can get longer, especially when you consider traffic congestion.

“Our policy is that we try to pick up children as close to their home as possible to avoid them having to wait on the side of the road or in the heat.

“That means it does take longer sometimes to make the journey because there are certain routes that the drivers cannot avoid taking and picking up children individually does take longer.

“It’s not a case of going from A to B but rather A to Z, which inevitably means longer journey times.”

It is an issue schools are aware of in Dubai.

Richard Drew, vice principal of Greenfield Community School in the Green Community, said school buses travelled from as far as Mirdif and Arabian Ranches to pick up students.

“Most of our pupils come from the Green Community and there is the usual issue of traffic in and around the community,” he said.

“The big roundabout is the main area where there are a lot of delays. Sometimes the time spent in traffic there could be the same as it would take for the rest of your journey.

“We have pupils picked up at Dubai Marina and although there have been traffic problems we typically don’t see that because our buses tend to avoid the busiest periods.”

The school starts classes at about 7.50am with primary school pupils finishing at 2.30pm and 3.30pm for the secondary school.

“We feel as though the timings are fair because any earlier would probably not be as convenient for parents,” he said. “It is always a case of trying to balance what is best for the pupils and what we can do practically.”