Abu Dhabi adopts safety steps for school transport

The measures include installing specific safety seat belts in school buses and the requirement of the operational medical examinations for school bus driver job applicants.

Abu Dhabi – The School Transport Executive Committee in Abu Dhabi announced on February 2 that it has adopted a series of regulatory measures intended to promote the school transport system and enforce mandatory school bus specifications.

The measures include installing specific safety seat belts in school buses and the requirement of the operational medical examinations for school bus driver job applicants. Moreover, the committee has adopted an integrated training programme to qualify school bus drivers and escorts.

“The implementation of these important measures and regulations, the committee has adopted after thorough study and examination, is the culmination of the joint work and intensive efforts exerted by all members in order to ensure the safety and security of our students, and reassure students’ parents about the safety of school transportation,” stated Brigadier Hussein Al Harthi, Director of Traffic and Patrol Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police and Chairman of the School Transport Executive Committee.

Al Harthi also stressed on the importance that all government, community and private stakeholders hold their exact responsibilities in maintaining the safety, comfort and sustainability of school transport system.

The regulations related to installing safety seat belts in school buses stipulate that all school bus operators shall equip new buses, prior registration, with three-point safety seat belts, regardless of the number of its seats.

It also requires the operators of current school buses, which have 22 seats and below, to provide three-point safety seat belts in their buses. Whereas operators of current school buses that have more than 22 seats must equip their school buses with two-point safety seat belts.

On the other hand, the committee adopted the operational medical tests as a prerequisite for school bus driver job applicants to determine their medical fitness to practice this profession.

Conducted by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the medical tests will include vision check-up (visual acuity and colour vision), complete blood count, Hepatitis B surface antigen, fasting glucose, glycated haemoglobin, renal function test, audiometry and electrocardiogram.

As per these regulations, the operators will bear Dh750 fee to issue the applicant a medical certificate valid for two years (if applicant did not leave UAE in vacation). However, applicants who return from vacations outside UAE will have to pass medical fitness examinations for a fee of Dh250 paid by the operator. These examinations will be limited to basic medical and preventive tests to ensure that the applicants are free from any contagious diseases or conditions that may affect public safety.

Moreover, the committee has implemented regulations to train school bus drivers and escorts, and provide them with all necessary information, practical experience and professional knowledge that will help them promote the safety of students while traveling between school and home.

To this end, special training manuals for school bus drivers and escorts were prepared in collaboration among the Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council and Emirates Driving Company.

The committee has also been closely working with Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council to provide all the training manuals for school bus drivers and escorts with all the theoretical knowledge and practical courses that ensure the highest quality and safety standards for school transport as part of its commitment to the international best practices in this field.

The School Transport Executive Committee in Abu Dhabi has commenced a series of preventive measures, including inspections and field visits to examine the safety of school transport systems.

Moreover, the DoT is working to conclude an agreement with SAAED Traffic Systems to outsource the responsibilities of inspections and field visits. The committee is actively collaborating with Abu Dhabi Education Council in monitoring the implementation of school bus security regulations and measures to avoid any violations that may affect the level of safety provided to the students while traveling to and from school.