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Non-punctuality of school buses worries parents

The complaints are about non-punctuality of drivers which causes delays in departure and arrival of students, unskilled drivers and old and unsafe buses without proper air conditioning and maintenance.

“Our students have to wait for long as buses of some of the schools - private and public - arrive near our houses any time between 5am and 6 am,” says Khaleed Al Farsi, a national parent.

The parent adds that about 70 per cent of the buses of the private schools are old models. “Moreover, the drivers are careless and untrained and they drive too fast,” Al Farsi says.

It may be recalled that 13 students were injured in an accident in the capital in November last year.

Some parents are also worried that the bus drivers are dropping the kids on the other side of the road, forcing them to cross even some dangerous highways such as in Al Rahaba area.

“Some private schools don’t rent buses from Emirates Transportation Company (ETC) because the private minibuses are cheaper. Our children are in danger all through the year despite paying about Dh1,500 as transportation fees annually,” says Madiha Al Sayed, a mother of a grade five student.

Jamal Soliman, a national employee, says, “One of the most important condition for drivers of school buses is that they must be well-trained. Most of the drivers of the private school buses have not attended any training or informative lectures.”

Responding to the concerns raised by the parents, Mohammad Salim Al Dhahiri, Director-General of ADEZ, said the zone had set fresh standards for school buses from 2008-09 academic year.

The ADEZ and ETC officials met recently to formulate the new terms and conditions the schools should comply with.

He said the Traffic Department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) was cooperating with the zonal authorities to check all school buses next month. A plan was being prepared to review the licences of all buses and cancel the licences of old models.

The ADEZ in cooperation with the Traffic Department would conduct orientation seminars for drivers of school buses to educate them on the steps they need to take during fog, heavy rain and sand storms.

Al Dhahiri says the ADEZ and the MoE had instructed the principals and administrators of schools to delay the commencement of the first period by 15-30 minutes during days of bad weather.

Drivers have their own reasons to speed, particularly in the morning. Mohammad Ghoulam, a Pakistani driver of a private school in the capital, said, “I always try to limit my speed. I have 26 students in the minibus. It means that I have to go to about 20 places. Hence, I have to start as early as 5.30am.

“Besides, the school administration will issue me memos in case I bring in the children too late. I try to reach the school on time lest I get memos or deductions from my salary.”

Another driver, Hussain, said, “Some of the private schools rent the buses without recruiting a woman helper to assist the small children to get into and alight from the bus.

“Also, female supervisors are very important to control the children in the bus because the kids always play and move about which put them in danger, especially when I have to apply the brakes,” he said.

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