Abu Dhabi: Adhere to traffic rules as you drop off or pick up kids from schools, cops tell parents

Abu Dhabi - School bus drivers have also been told to drive safely.

Adhere to traffic rules and use the spaces designated for parking vehicles at schools while dropping off children or picking them up to avoid obstructing other motorists, the Abu Dhabi Police have urged parents.

School bus drivers have also been told to drive safely and ensure the safety of children as they board and get off the buses.

Several private school zones in Abu Dhabi had witnessed traffic jams, on Sunday (August 29), the first day of the new school year.

Police said it had intensified road safety awareness among drivers and boosted traffic patrols on various roads across the emirate to ensure smooth vehicular movement as pupils returned to schools for physical learning.

The traffic authorities said they had stepped up awareness programmes to enhance positive traffic behaviours among various segments of society, including road users, to remind them about the importance of following rules to provide road safety for the students.

Brigadier General Mohammed Dhahi Al Himairi, director of the traffic and patrols directorate at Abu Dhabi Police, had earlier explained that the back-to-school plan focused on deploying more traffic patrols on various intersections and on internal and external roads in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions to ensure seamless movement of students in school buses and other vehicles to and from educational institutions.

Drivers have been educated on the importance of paying attention to the roads while driving, reducing speed in school zones, committing to safe driving, and cooperating with traffic officers to enhance traffic flow to avoid accidents.

Al Himairi urged families to drive carefully while transporting their kids to schools and not to allow those below the age of 10 in the front seats of vehicles.

“Parents should also help the children cross the streets when dropping them off to schools and use the spaces allotted for parking vehicles at schools so other motorists don't face obstructions,” said Al Himairi.

“School bus drivers, supervisors and parents should teach the children proper ways of boarding and getting off of the bus. Families must also warn children not to play on the streets while waiting for school buses.”

He urged school bus drivers to stop in the designated and safe places, and give students the opportunity to board the bus and sit in their seats safely, while ensuring that they get off the school bus after reaching school. Children should not be allowed near the bus before it moves away, added the officer.

“Bus drivers must refrain from speeding and implement Covid-19 safety and health measures, including social distancing on the buses,” pointed out Al Himairi.

“For safe driving during foggy conditions, drivers must ensure leaving enough safe distance between other vehicles and follow the ‘stop’ sign on the buses while picking up or dropping off students,” he said.

Al Himairi explained that vehicles are supposed to stop in both directions on a two-way road when the ‘stop’ sign has been displayed, at a distance of five metres away from the school bus.

Motorists who ignore the ‘stop’ signs on school buses are fined Dh1,000 and 10 black points registered against their licences.

School bus drivers are also required to display the ‘stop’ signs on the buses while picking up or dropping off students. The penalty for not displaying the ‘stop’ signs on school bus is Dh500 and six black points.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com