DUBAI - The Roads and Transports Authority (RTA) is sparing no effort in making school buses safe in Dubai.
School bus drivers are issued permits to meet safety standards, and the total number of drivers with such permits have now reached 5,757, according to the agency.
The permits are issued after a course on safe driving, said the agency, as per the School Transport Law of 2008.
The RTA’s Bus Fleet Drivers Affairs Department has also completed training of 845 school bus attendants since January this year
Mansour Rahma Al Falasi, Director of Bus Fleet Drivers Affairs, Public Transport Agency, said: “Training sessions are held for drivers before being issued with school bus driving permits. This is to ensure they are qualified for driving school buses and this empowers them to deliver this service at world-class standards”.
“The Agency subjects school bus drivers, after completing the documentation required by RTA Licensing Agency, to modern training modules and methods aligned with the requirements of school transport in Dubai. This is held in collaboration with an internationally renowned institute specialized in this field. These free courses are delivered in Arabic, English and Urdu,” Falasi said.
The training programme for school bus drivers aims at familiarising them with their responsibilities towards students and road users.
The principles of driving school buses, safe rules of boarding and alighting from the school bus, and the risks associated with the areas in which schools are located are some of the issues that form part of the course.
It also discusses the availability of school buses at dangerous spots and the impact on the driver’s visibility.
Traffic accidents and how to avoid them, weather issues which impact traffic, first aid are also explained by experts during the course.
“These training sessions also aim at fostering awareness of school bus drivers. It aims to foster respect for other drivers and prevent reckless driving.
“The courses emphasise the importance of taking precautions and appropriate measures during driving, abiding by the best driving practices, and paying all attention to delivering safe and smooth transport to students,” Falasi said.
A team of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, comprising Essa Abdul Rahman Al Dosari and several directors, managers and employees, recently visited Dubai Modern Education School, Mirdiff where it conferred with the school management on bus safety issues.