Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Standarisation and Metrology Authority (Esma) launched an inspection campaign of school buses to ensure that they meet the safety standards set by the authority.
The inspection focused primarily on ascertaining whether bus seats are up to set UAE standards, as well as ensuring the availability of emergency exits, first aid kits and one or more fire extinguishers in school buses.
Abdullah Al Maeeni, director of Esma, said that the campaign consisted of two phases. He pointed out that the first phase was for bus operators to carry out internal inspection procedures. The second phase consisted of Esma carrying out inspection visits to make sure that the buses meet technical and safety standards.
Al Maeeni added that the key part of school bus inspections is to confirm that they are yellow in colour, as well as producing a certificate certifying that they have been fitted with speed control systems limiting their speed to 80km/h. The inspections also check whether the dimensions of bus seats, spaces between them and how far the seats are from the aisles is in line with standards set by the authority.
Al Maeeni said that Esma, in cooperation with other local regulatory authorities, will continue to carry out such campaigns and follow up on whether school buses still meet the set standards.
