Over 6,000 buses to transport 181,000 students in Abu Dhabi as schools gear up to reopen

Emad Eddin Khalil, Staff Reporter

As many as 6,010 school buses will be dedicated to transporting 181,000 students in Abu Dhabi, according to Amer Juma Al Shehi, Director of School Operations at Emirates Transport in Abu Dhabi.

Al Shehi stated that Emirates Transport has completed preparations to commence the school transport service for the new academic year 2024-2025, adding that 4,960 drivers and 5,960 bus supervisors have been appointed after they successfully completed the training and awareness programmes.

Al Shehi noted that Emirates Transport implements a smart system, which ensures the safety of students inside the buses.

He explained that the smart systems in the buses have been enhanced to ensure the safety of the students, pointing out that the tablets software has been upgraded, contributing to the process of preparing students in the morning, transporting them to school, preparing them for departure, and dropping them off at their homes.

The smart system also, according to Al Shehi monitors the number of students daily through the attendance records, and communication is maintained with parents to understand the reasons for the student’s absence from school. Al Shehi added that there are other tracking devices linked to the operations room to ensure the safety of the students inside the bus.

The driver's speed, directions, and the time spent by the student in the bus will be reportedly monitored, ensuring that the student's time in the bus does not exceed a maximum of 60 minutes from school to home.

“Smart devices will be added to school buses, and there are other systems to electronically inspect the bus through a check button which forces the driver to inspect all the seats, in addition to a motion detection system, a sensor for the movement of any body inside the bus when the engine is turned off after the trip, to alert the operations room in case a child is left behind in the bus,” Al Shehi added.

The Ministry of Interior (MOI), represented by the Federal Traffic Council and the General Command of Police, will launch a national awareness campaign titled "Accident-Free Day" on 26th August, coinciding with the start of the new school year. The campaign aims to ensure a traffic accident-free first day of school.

To encourage participation, those who commit to the "Accident-Free Day" campaign can benefit from a reduction of four black traffic points.

To qualify for this discount, participants must sign the initiative's pledge, available at (https://portal.moi.gov.ae/eservices/direct?scode=716&c=2) and in the Ministry of Interior's social media bio (MOIUAE) and must refrain from any traffic violations or accidents on the designated day.

The discount will be applied two weeks after 26th August, as an incentive to promote adherence to traffic safety year-round.

Brigadier Engineer Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, Chairman of the Federal Traffic Council, explained that the campaign is part of the Ministry's broader strategy to enhance traffic safety and align with the UAE government's vision for road safety.

He highlighted that the campaign seeks to promote a culture of responsible driving by educating motorists on key safety practices. These include ensuring vehicle safety, adhering to speed limits near schools, avoiding distractions like mobile phones, following traffic lanes, maintaining safe distances, prioritising pedestrians, and giving way to emergency vehicles.

This collective effort is essential for creating a traffic environment free from accidents.