Cameras on Abu Dhabi school buses to catch stop sign violations

Abu Dhabi - The radars will be fixed on 7,000 buses.

Cameras will be installed on all school buses in Abu Dhabi to catch motorists ignoring the stop signs, the Abu Dhabi Police announced on Tuesday, September 3. All 7,000 school buses operating in Abu Dhabi will be fitted with the cameras.
"The project will be done in phases," Abdullah Al Ghafeli, head of traffic studies at the Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrols Directorate, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of a Press conference to launch a year-long traffic safety awareness campaign. "Overtaking a bus when the stop sign arm is extended is illegal as the sign indicates that students are boarding or getting off the bus."
The police had earlier reported that 3,664 motorists were fined in Abu Dhabi for committing this violation in the 2018-19 academic year. The errant drivers are slapped with a Dh1,000 fine and 10 black points. Authorities also recorded 126 violations against school bus drivers who didn't display the signs when picking up or dropping off students. The penalty for this violation is Dh500 and six black points.
Stop arms automatically extend out of the bus and motorists are required to wait until the child is safely out of the way. As per the law, drivers are required to stop at least five metres away from the bus.
"The safety of students is a top priority for us and we are doing everything possible to boost it," said Ghafeli. "All motorists should adhere to the UAE traffic law."
Year-long safety drive
The police have launched a year-long road safety awareness campaign called 'be road safe' to educate motorists about maintaining the right traffic attitude. The campaign will be carried out in Arabic, English, Urdu, Malayalam and Chinese.
Key messages of the campaign include stopping when a school bus stop sign arm is extended; giving way to emergency vehicles; avoiding speeding; and refraining from using mobile phones while driving.
The drive will be conducted through lectures at schools, video and audio messages, brochures and social media campaigns.
Brigadier Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, director of the police's central operations sector, said: "The comprehensive road safety awareness drive will help promote safe driving as we look forward to reach the highest levels of traffic safety. It is very important for drivers to adhere to traffic rules and regulations at all times to avoid accidents."
How to do it right
>Slow down when you spot a school bus ahead
>Stop at least 5 metres away when you see the bus's stop sign extended
>Wait till the students have crossed safely
>Be prepared for any surprise moves by students: Sprinting, jumping, running
Violations and fines
>Fine for ignoring stop signs: Dh1,000; 10 black points
>Fine for failure to extend the stop sign: Dh500 and 6 black points
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi