Many a times I have witnessed that the school bus drivers are least bothered about the safety of the students. A few days ago, I saw a school minibus driving at a high speed on a sandy road close to the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road. A little way ahead, the bus went over the pavement and joint the traffic on the main road (as seen in the photograph).
The same minibus was then overtaking other vehicles on the road and risking the lives of the school children onboard. The driver was driving recklessly and impatiently.
When minibus drivers see the police, they slow down and then again start driving rashly. The buses are never supposed to exceed their speed limit, which I believe is 80 kilometres per hour. It is a very risky attempt because a minibus can lose control and crash. Any vehicle carrying school children should be more cautious and drive carefully on the road, within the speed limits.
The reader is a student based in Sharjah.
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Students share their experiences:
“I take the bus to school every day. We drive from Sharjah to Dubai in the mornings and there is a lot of traffic. A few days ago, our school bus had a minor accident and I believe that this may have been due to the bad traffic alongwith errant driving on part of the bus driver. There have been times when he drives rashly and even takes the bus on to the pavements in an attempt to skip traffic.”
Nanditha Vinod Souringal, a student based in Sharjah.
“The drivers in our school are well trained and they do not drive rashly. They give equal attention to each and every student. Whenever we are late, they do wait for us and we all reach our destinations safely every day. If there is a problem with the bus, the school is immediately informed and the school authorities take necessary action. We are quite satisfied.”
Raunak Kapur, a student based in Sharjah.
“The bus usually arrives at 6am so I usually fall asleep in the mornings. But, during the journey back home I have noticed that the driver never goes over the speed limit or drives rashly. He is well trained and even the conductors are friendly. Using the bus has been a great experience for me.”
Mohit Talreja, a student based in Sharjah.
“I feel like our school bus is driven well, by a trained driver. He doesn’t drive too fast and makes sure all the students are wearing seat belts. It takes around one hour for us to reach school, as he picked up students. But he is never impatient and even waits for students if they are late.”
Mariam Ashraf, a student based in Dubai.
