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Old School Buses Will be Taken off the Roads

DUBAI — School buses that are 15 years old or more will not be allowed to run in the emirate and their registrations are all set to be cancelled, senior officials of the Public Transport Agency (PTA) at the RTA said on Tuesday.

With more than 120 inspectors to start inspections of the school buses from September 1, Issa Al Dossari, the CEO, said that all the buses are required to make the necessary changes as directed by the Authority before the deadline.

“September 1 will see the implementation of the penalty policy with inspectors carrying out checks and imposing fines on violators. Schools are required to make changes by September. Within 2 to 3 years, all the old buses will be moved out and replaced,” Al Dossari said.

In the Emirate, private schools operate 1934 buses and government schools have 235 buses. Since the announcement of the school bus safety regulations last year, almost 90 per cent of the buses have already been modified, and the Licencing Agency has started the issuance of registration cards for these buses, the official said.

The maximum speed limit for all school buses has been set at 80kmph. A speed controller must be installed in all buses, the official said.

The Agency has completed a two-day training for more than 2,300 bus drivers. The free training programme, which is to be conducted on a regular basis, is aimed at preparing drivers to deal with every kind of emergency.

Upon completion, the drivers are issued with a special bus driver permit which makes them eligible for the job.

From September 1, drivers not carrying the permit will not be allowed to drive a school bus, the official said.

“The inspections and monitoring will start from September. If we feel that the two-day training is not enough, it will be extended. Moreover, these trainings will be done on a regular basis,” Al Dossari said.

Earlier, Khaleej Times had reported that the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) will not renew school licences unless institutions meet the school bus safety regulations as drawn up by the Agency.

Acting on several complaints of high costs raised by schools and transport companies, the Agency has also amended some of the regulations.

It is mandatory for the buses to have seat belts in the two front seats. But other seats also should have necessary arrangements to have these belts in the future. Also, the new buses should not have triple seats.

Dossari said that the RTA inspectors will also ensure that the motorists pay due respect to the school buses in terms of safety. “There will be an awareness programme for motorists focusing on the do’s and don’ts when approaching a school bus. The inspectors will make sure that a motorist is not rash when approaching a school bus or when a school bus is parked,” he said.

New Standards Proposed

UAE Minister of Education Dr Hanif Hassan on Tuesday met Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qutami, UAE Minister of Health and Chairman of Emirates Transportation Corporation, to discuss ways of improving the services of school buses to achieve security, safety and comfort for students.

The two ministers agreed to upgrade the specifications and set up new standards and conditions for school buses that serve both public and private schools to guarantee the safety and security of students.

Dr Hassan and Obaid Al Qutami emphasised the role of the corporation’s buses in serving schools and setting up special standards and conditions that guarantee the safe transport of students from their homes to schools and vice versa.

They also assured that the same specifications and standards will be applied on private schools to avoid bus accidents, maintain the safety of all students, and prevent private schools from using damaged buses.

The meeting also discussed on the ways of implementing the phases of developing transportation services based on the priorities of education zones and schools. It also agreed to form team members from the Ministry of Education and Emirates Transportation to set up new standards and conditions that determine the school bus fleet movement in both public and private schools.

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