Abu Dhabi launches new school transport safety measures for new academic year

The initiative aims to ensure a safe daily journey for students and smooth traffic flow

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Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) has announced a comprehensive set of measures to enhance school transport safety as the new academic year begins, combining infrastructure upgrades, stricter regulations, and student awareness programmes.

The ITC said it had carried out detailed studies and developed transport improvement plans for more than 60 schools across the emirate. These included on-site surveys and direct consultations with school administrations to identify traffic and safety challenges at each site.

Based on these findings, customised solutions were introduced, such as expanding bus and private car parking spaces, redesigning traffic flow to ease congestion, and adding new safety features.

Ahead of the 2025–26 school year, inspection teams will be deployed at schools with heavy congestion to manage traffic during peak hours. New technical standards for school buses have also been introduced, including an additional “Stop” sign on larger vehicles carrying over 40 students.

The ITC said the initiative aims to ensure a safe daily journey for students and smooth traffic flow for all road users, including pedestrians, bus passengers, and private car drivers. The plan is built on two main pillars: raising student awareness of traffic safety and improving school-area infrastructure.

In partnership with Abu Dhabi Police, schools, and other stakeholders, the ITC has expanded its education campaigns. Last year, more than 900 students took part in interactive sessions on safe bus use and road crossing. This year’s programme will cover more schools across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra.

The ITC is also conducting regular bus inspections and training workshops for operators, drivers, and supervisors, while continuing to roll out its Salama smart app, part of a unified school transport management system designed to strengthen monitoring and safety standards.

The latest statistics from the “Salama” system showed that the number of registered bus operators in Abu Dhabi has reached 222, managing a total of 9,425 buses, 9,379 drivers, and 11,136 supervisors. According to the data, the Salama system currently serves 690 schools.

Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE.

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