The tragic death of three-year-old Nizaha Aalaa, who died last October after being locked inside a bus, highlighted shortcomings in the school transport system and failures at all levels – the bus driver, his supervisor and the school authorities. Those who were judged directly responsible for her death have been brought to justice, but this will not restore Nizaha to her grieving parents.
As The National reported yesterday, the bus driver and supervisor have been sentenced to three years in jail for negligence. A school administrator was given a suspended, three-year jail sentence and fined Dh20,000 for failing to check student records that day. The owner of the transport company was sentenced to six months in jail for endangering lives and fined Dh500,000 for employing staff whom he was not sponsoring. Nizaha's school, Al Worood Academy, has been ordered to close and fined Dh150,000. Evidence in the court case pointed to another issue that needs attention. The school cleaner said she was given the responsibility of supervising children getting off the bus, although she had no proper training for this particular task. Perhaps schools will now pay attention to this crucial link in the chain.
But if there is any reason for cautious hope, it is that the punishments and fines will put other schools and transport companies on notice and deter further negligence. New regulations are in place. The Transport Department has banned the use of mini and microbuses on school routes and ordered daily safety checks on vehicles. Seat belts will soon be mandatory. Drivers will undergo more training and health checks, and their safety records will be closely examined. For its part, the Abu Dhabi Education Council has ordered schools to check attendance records carefully and contact parents by text message if their children fail to arrive in class.
It only takes one lapse for tragedy to strike again. Rigorous enforcement is essential along every part of the journey from front door to classroom and back again.
