Abu Dhabi: Police have warned motorists to respect school buses’ stop signs, with violators risking hefty fines and black points.
Brigadier Ahmad Al Shehhi, deputy director of Traffic and Patrols Department in the Central Operations Section of the Abu Dhabi Police, has called on motorists to halt their vehicles fully, when they see a school bus stop sign within a distance of not less than five metres, in order to ensure the safety of students.
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He pointed out that the UAE’s Federal Traffic Law, which came into effect on July 1, 2017, stipulates by virtues of Ministerial Decision No. 178 of 2017 on Traffic Control Rules and Procedures, that a fine of Dh1,000 with 10 black points shall be issued against motorists who fail to stop when they see the stop sign of school buses. It also states that a fine of Dh500 with 6 black points shall be issued against school bus drivers who fail to open the stop sign.
Meanwhile, more than 93.3 per cent of Abu Dhabi Police’s followers on Facebook and Twitter have voted in favour of holding a traffic campaign to raise residents’ awareness of the importance of paying attention to and adhering to the school bus stop sign rule.
According to a poll carried out by the Security Media Department at Abu Dhabi Police on its social media platforms, the vast majority of followers have expressed their support for organsing awareness campaigns to promote commitment to the school bus stop sign, for the sake of children’s safety on the roads.
In response to the poll result, the Traffic and Patrols Directorate has launched a back-to-school campaign titled ‘Let’s Cross’. The campaign is in coordination with the Department of Transport, Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development. Emirates Transport and Saaed traffic system.
