50 new school buses for Al Ain schools

The move was intended to cover the requirements of the 8 new schools in Al Ain.

A fleet of fifty-three new buses have been added to the school buses in Al Ain to transport pupils during the forthcoming academic year.
The Emirates Transport (ET) said the move was intended to replace old vehicles and to cover the requirements of the 8 new schools in Al Ain.
The school transportation authorities said they have also recruited 100 new bus supervisors and 70 drivers to help in the transportation of the children to and from schools.
The new buses increase the total size of ET's school bus fleet in Al Ain to 706 buses. 43 of the new buses will cater for public schools and replace the old buses and 10 new buses will transport children in private schools, according to authorities.
Authorities said the new drivers will undergo some training programs before the beginning of the next school year in September.
The Emirates Transport buses have the smart safety systems for protection of children.
The buses have been fitted with a device that counts the number of children getting on and off.
The buses also have a motion sensor that detects movement inside a parked bus, and is connected to a system that triggers an alarm if someone remains on board. A check button at the back of the bus forces the driver to walk down the aisle and verify that each seat had been vacated before he can press it. The buses also have speakers to communicate to a child left inside the bus.
Authorities said that these devices, along with the cameras, are connected to a mobile digital video recorder system, which can send alerts from the vehicle warning of harsh acceleration and braking, speeding and driving while doors are open.
The Emirates Transport, in coordination with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), have already determined that the routes of the school buses which should not exceed 50 minutes from the time a student boards the bus to the time of their arrival at school.
The school bus drivers are being trained on safety measures through a specialized center and the training includes specialized training courses, dealing with parents, students, road users and technical situations related to dealing with the bus supervisor and emergencies and readiness, first aid and rescue skill throughout the academic year.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi