Police call for safety on school buses

Dubai: Police have called on school bus drivers, school administrations, parents and pupils to abide by simple traffic rules to ensure safety.

Police said every party involved in the school environment is responsible for ensuring safety, not only on the buses, but also while boarding buses.

Dubai Police's Traffic Department organised a series of awareness lectures for school bus drivers under the slogan Driving Buses and Safety Conditions two weeks ago, in the run-up to the new academic term.

The lectures focused on the importance of traffic safety, especially near schools. Police said most accidents happen as drivers do not abide by speed limits, lose concentration and do not make sure the road is clear as well as ignore the rights of other road users.

A police official from Dubai Police's Traffic Department said there were a number of guidelines that bus drivers, pupils and parents must follow to ensure the safety of pupils.

The official said it was advisable for schools to have supervisors on the buses, as well as when pupils board the buses.

Supervisor

"Schools must have a supervisor near the buses who will help pupils get on the buses in schools to make sure the area around the buses is clear of pupils. This helps to avoid traffic accidents in and near schools," he said.

He said there must also be supervisors on the buses to help pupils get on and off the buses. The official said schools must also make sure buses are in a good condition to prevent accidents that result from technical breakdowns.

The official advised school bus drivers to avoid speeding and jumping red signals, to use indicators, reduce speed in residential areas, wear seat belts, expect mistakes from other drivers, stay in their lane, and be patient and courteous, especially during traffic jams.

The official said pupils must not stand or play behind or in front of any bus, and make sure the bus has completely stopped before they attempt to get on or off the bus. They must sit on the bus and avoid standing which could cause them to fall down or hit something if the bus suddenly stops. The pupils must not put their hands, head or bodies outside the bus, they must listen to the bus driver or the supervisor's advice regarding safety on the bus.

'I have faith in the drivers and conductors'

Rachel Abraham, a Sharjah-based parent, said that with traffic on the roads growing by the hour there was quite a high risk that school buses may be in an accident. She, however, said as a parent who has two children that she has learned to have faith in drivers and the conductors who drive her children to school and back.

Monisha Agarwal, a mother of a 12-year-old boy and a resident of Abu Dhabi, said one way to beat the traffic and ensure school buses get smooth road access was to increase the frequency of the public transport system. Asha Alexander, principal of Our Own English High School in Dubai, agreed the safety of school buses was paramount to any school organisation. She said the school management in her school had ensured all school buses set off only after every pupil had taken their seat on their bus.

Abha Sahgal, principal of the Delhi Private School in Sharjah, said this year the school had brought forward its start time in the morning by 15 minutes to beat the traffic on the roads.

Have your say
Does your child use the school bus? Do the school authorities adhere to any safety guidelines? Tell us at
letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the comments form below.

Why can't the UAE implement a school bus system such as the one that is being used in Canada or the United States? All vehicles have to obey and stop once the school bus is flashing to drop off kids.
Fred
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 04, 2007, 07:40

The school bus drivers should be instructed to respect lane discipline. Any commuter who comes travels on Sharjah-Dubai road every morning will witness that the school buses usually change the lanes very frequently and stop wherever their drivers want to, irrespective of the traffic flow and other commuters' discomfort. I would suggest that authorities are designate one lane (right-most one) as the bus lane during the traffic rush hours.
Zaidi
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 04, 2007, 07:39

The schools must be very strict when it comes to hiring bus drivers. They must first screen those aspiring drivers if they were fit mentally and physically. It will help a lot if these drivers could undergo twice a year medical checkup and psychological testing. Everyday drivers must always be checked for tiredness before boarding their respective buses or else it will result in tragic road accidents.
Mike
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 04, 2007, 01:47