Dubai: School bus drivers in Dubai are subjected to rigorous training and qualification process to ensure the highest standard of safety for pupils on road, a senior Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said.
RTA’s Public Transport Agency (PTA) holds annual training and approval programmes for candidates selected by schools to drive their buses before permits are issued to drivers.
“No school can appoint a driver without the approval of PTA. We conduct annual training and tests and even before the tests candidates need to have a set of pre-qualifications to apply for school bus driver’s permit,” said Yousuf Al Ali, the PTA’s chief executive officer.
The comments follow a road accident involving a school bus last Sunday that left one man dead and injured 15 pupils in the bus, in addition to causing injuries to a woman. The accident happened in the morning when the man was run over by the bus while he was changing a tyre on his car, which was parked on the hard shoulder. The injured woman was sitting inside the car.
School Transport in Dubai is regulated by RTA through a decree issued by Dubai Executive Council in 2008, following which the RTA published a School Transport Manual, which clearly specifies roles of all stakeholders as well as the technical specifications of buses and the rules that the drivers and operators need to follow.
According to the RTA rules, no driver under the age of 25 can operate school buses. Among the pre-qualifications for drivers are a ‘No Criminal Precedents Certificate’, obtained from Dubai Police, a ‘disease free’ certificate from Dubai Health Authority, record of previous driving experience, literacy in English and Arabic and emergency handling procedures.
Al Ali said apart from conducting annual training and tests the RTA also holds regular workshops to create awareness about traffic safety.
“We are in constant touch with drivers and we monitor their behaviour regularly,” said Al Ali. “We have a team of qualified inspectors who not only check violations about driving but also ensure strict adherence to school transport manual.”
Al Ali added: “The biggest responsibility of a school bus driver is the safety of students travelling with him. He has to ensure this by adhering to traffic rules and school bus rules like not exceeding the speed limit for school buses, which is 80kph, not moving the bus before ensuring the students are seated and closing the door of the bus before moving.”
He added that school bus drivers are required to know how to administer first aid in case of an emergency and how to operate the firefighting equipment on buses.
“Our inspectors also make sure that the drivers keep the buses clean, maintain personal hygiene as well as stopping and parking at secure stops,” Al Ali said. “The drivers are also banned from smoking inside the buses as well as making sure the buses are in running condition before moving the buses from their stations.”
RTA issues heavy penalties for violations, which vary from driving without a permit (Dh500) to failing to operate electronic stop arms (Dh200).
The authority has issued 7,000 school bus driver permits since 2008 and operate 4,800 registered school buses in Dubai, transporting private school students.
Meanwhile, the Indian High School, whose bus was involved in last Sunday’s incident, said that concerned authorities will take action in the case.
“It was our school’s bus, after the accident we are assured that all the students and staff are safe,” the school’s principal said. “Further appropriate action will be taken by the concerned authorities.”
Sara Al Khatib, a mother of three children who take a school bus each day, said schools should ensure a qualified driver is behind the wheel of school buses.
“I heard about the accident in the news,” she said. “I am glad that all the children are physically safe but I am sure that they are traumatised as a result of the ordeal. I think schools should test or provide some sort of training for drivers to make sure that they are competent to transport out children.”
Manal Al Jameel, a mother of five, four of whom take a school bus, said she is now worried for her children’s safety.
“May God be with the dead driver’s family,” she said. “How could the driver hit a man parked on the side of the road? Schools should ensure that they are hiring responsible drivers.”
