Watch: Abu Dhabi Police intensify safety campaign for school bus drivers

Abu Dhabi: To ensure the continued wellbeing of students onboard, Abu Dhabi Police are meeting school bus drivers and supervisors to reaffirm road safety rules.

The Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police General Command has intensified the field awareness efforts in cooperation with the Emirates Transport Corporation. The move is in line with the Ministry of Interior’s campaign ‘Our Children are Trust’.

Brigadier General Mahmoud Yousef Al Balushi, director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, confirmed the continuation of these efforts throughout the academic year.

The campaign in Abu Dhabi included holding awareness workshops for school bus drivers and supervisors about traffic laws, such as:

• adhering to legal speeds

• using a ‘Stop’ lever when students get on and off

• not using the phone while driving the bus

• urging male and female supervisors to ensure that students sit on the seats

• contacting the relevant authorities in emergency cases

• ensuring that students are emptied of the bus during its final stop.

Meanwhile, the Al Ain Traffic Department implemented a workshop to raise the safety awareness for school bus drivers and supervisors, with the participation of Emirates Transport and a number of police agencies, including the Community Police Affairs Department (We Are All Police), the Police Follow-up and Aftercare Department in Al Ain Region, and True Life Hospital.

The workshop was held at the Al Ain Police Officers Club, and at the end of the event, outstanding drivers were honoured.

Emirates Transport stressed the importance of such workshops in enhancing drivers’ and supervisors’ awareness of traffic rules. The Al Ain Traffic Department and the Police Follow-up and Aftercare Department educated bus drivers about traffic safety procedures, also informed supervisors about promoting positive behaviour among pupils onboard.

The medical staff from True Life Hospital provided medical advice and guidelines to the public and urged them on the necessity of performing preventive health examinations on a regular basis. The workshop included competitions for attendees and the distribution of prizes.