How school buses ensure the safety of students in Dubai

RTA also won the bronze medal in the security and safety category for Monitoring Bus Accident Prevention System and received two certificates of appreciation in the green economy category for Recycling of Bus Wash Water Project and general category for Taxi and Limo Drivers Training Centre Project.

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) received gold award from the Organization of American Ideas for the School Bus Team for the use of modern technology to enhance safety of students.

The RTA wins the gold award in a contest run by the Organisation of American Ideas for the School Bus Team for its use of modern technology to enhance safety of school students. -Supplied photo

RTA also won the bronze medal in the security and safety category for Monitoring Bus Accident Prevention System and received two certificates of appreciation in the green economy category for Recycling of Bus Wash Water Project and general category for Taxi and Limo Drivers Training Centre Project.

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The school buses, operated by Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), are fitted with surveillance cameras linked to the control centre of the DTC.

The cameras monitor student's movement from the moment of sitting on the seat and up to alighting from the bus. It also has a GPS satellite tracking system that transmits text messages to parents reporting the timing of boarding the bus and their safe arrival to school or home.

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DTC's new school bus fleet is also fitted with a switch located at the rear of the bus that requires the driver to walk through to the backend of the bus in order to disable it. In doing so, the driver can physically verify that all students have exited the bus, and accordingly the engine can be switched off and windows can be shut.

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In case the driver forgets to press the last seat's button, the control room will send a message to the driver within 10 seconds.

School buses are also user-friendly for the disabled as the landing/boarding steps can be lowered close to the ground level.

Meanwhile, Abdulla Yousef Al Ali, CEO of RTA's Public Transport Agency, expressed his delight with the bronze award scooped by the Bus Accident Prevention System.

He said: "The idea of the project revolves around a technological gadget fixed at the front of the driver's cabin to carry out three functions - monitoring potential crashes, spotting driver's fatigue, and tracking bus speed."

"The project has brought about considerable results in terms of reducing driver's fatigue cases by 88 per cent, curbing potential accidents by 60 per cent and cutting drivers' distracted attention by 76 per cent."

Features in school buses, operated by DTC

School buses are user-friendly for the disabled.

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