Abu Dhabi: A three-part Student Safety School System has been launched across 1,300 public school buses to ensure that no child is left behind in school vehicles, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) announced today (Wednesday).
In participation with Emirates Transport, the new fleet will feature sensors that count how many students have boarded and left the bus, a button located in the back of the vehicle to ensure that the driver has thoroughly inspected the bus for any pupils, and infrared motion detectors that can record movement within the bus.
“This initiative is the first of its kind in the Middle East. While these systems are in place to ensure that no child is left behind, the real responsibility falls on the shoulders of the bus staff — including the drivers and the supervisors,” Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, director-general of the Adec, said at the launch.
The official also urged parents to ensure that their children maintain a healthy schedule at home to prevent them from falling asleep in buses, especially those in kindergarten and cycle 1 (Grade 1-5). “Proper bus etiquette and tips on what to do if harassed or trapped inside a vehicle are also things that parents must teach their youngsters at home,” Dr Amal added.
An alarm is automatically sounded in case drivers fail to perform a check on whether any pupils are left in the bus within one minute of students’ departure.
The Adec official is hopeful that this move will instil further confidence in parents who rely on private transportation. “There are around 98,000 public school students using Emirates Transport buses which have a total capacity of 137,000 seats,” said Mohammad Al Jarmain, general manager of Emirates Transport.
Dr Amal has ensured that the safety of public and private school students is of paramount concern.
“Since all public school buses are provided by one operator, unlike private schools who rely on several, the latter might require more convincing to opt for the new technology and we are keen to make sure this happens,” she added.
Last year witnessed the death of kindergartner Nizaha Ala’a, who suffered from a heat stroke on board her Al Worood Academy Private School bus after she had been left there for several hours.
This caused the school bus supervisor and driver to be imprisoned and the school to face permanent closure.
Heidi Pullyard is a trainee with Gulf News
