SHARJAH Thousands of children in Sharjah are forced to wait for their school bus in the cover of darkness because street lights are switched off 45 minutes before daybreak. Fearing for their safety, parents are now calling on authorities to keep the lights on at least until sunrise.
“It’s unnerving to see children as young as three and four standing on dark, deserted streets on their own,” said Al Majaz resident Arshad, who escorts his eight year-old son to the school bus, often carrying a torch.
“Forget the little ones, even I feel unsafe when I step out of my building around 6.30am to see off my teenage daughter,” said Indian housewife Kavita who, lives in Abu Shagara. “The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) should take school winter timings into account and extend the timings of street lights by one hour,” she said.
School buses in Sharjah start arriving as early as 6.30am, but the streetlights are switched off around 6.15am, plunging the entire city in darkness.
“I am not exaggerating but it’s so dark you can even see the stars. Without streetlights, I fear that my child might get hurt while waiting for the schoolbus, be left behind as the conductor may not see them waiting or even worse, board the wrong bus,” said A. Majid, a Lebanese parent of a grade three student.
Working women, including school teachers, also raised concerns about their safety.
“Last month, a woman’s purse was snatched at the spot where I wait for my bus,” said a Filipina cashier who boards an office bus from Al Majaz to her workplace in Business Bay in Dubai.
