Experts divided on minibus ban from UAE roads

All agree, however, that small-sized buses and minivans should meet stringent licensing and safety requirements.

The ban on microbuses carrying school children should also apply to vans carrying workers, one transport expert argues. Fatima Al Marzooqi/ The National.

ABU DHABI // Transport companies and safety experts are divided over whether the Government should ban passenger minibuses.

But all agree that small buses and minivans should meet stringent licensing and safety requirements, and driver training and testing should also be regulated.

Their comments follow Abu Dhabi's ban on minibuses being used to ferry schoolchildren after this term.

The ban should also apply to vans carrying workers, said Dino Kalivas, chairman of driver education and training at the International Road Federation.

“There are a significant number of minivans that are being used to transport children to and from school, but they have poor safety records in collisions,” Mr Kalivas said.

“Minivans or minibuses are generally designed to carry cargo and are manufactured to different safety standards than passenger vehicles and buses.”

The vehicles have a higher centre of gravity, which makes them more susceptible to rolling over, and do not have adequate safety features such as anti-lock braking or stability control, he said.

“In minor collisions, minivans do not protect the occupants and their design does not perform as well in safety crash tests,” Mr Kalivas said.

“There are vans manufactured and sold in the market that are designed to meet the same standards as passenger cars, so these could still be used and operated.”

Emirates Transport, which provides small and medium-sized buses for driving staff and labourers, said a ban was not needed.

“The buses we use have a good record overall, so we don’t see there is a real need to introduce a blanket ban,” said Waleed Al Muhairi, executive director of transport and leasing.

“These buses have certain advantages in terms of their ability to move through smaller urban roads and help to reduce congestion.”

He said the company had installed speed limiters, satellite tracking, seat belts and fire extinguishers on its buses, and conducted regular maintenance. It also reduced seat capacity by eight on each bus.

It has 268 12 and 15-seat minibuses, and 1,832 heavy buses that can seat 30 to 65 passengers. Half of the fleet is leased without the company’s drivers.

The real issue, Mr Al Muhairi said, was adhering to safety laws and regulations. He said most road accidents involving minibuses were caused by reckless driving rather than the design of the vehicles.

“This can be enhanced by strengthening of monitoring and enforcement of laws, and that’s where the role of the relevant authorities comes in,” Mr Al Muhairi said.

But Khaled Al Mansoori, chief executive at Emirates Driving Company, said that unlike regular buses, which are more stable and have emergency exits, minibuses should only be used to carry goods.

“All of us are aware how some drivers display forms of aggression against other road users,” Mr Al Mansoori said.

“Many of these minibus drivers also show some reluctance to comply with guidelines on the maximum number of passengers they can carry.”

A minibus meant to seat 14 passengers is often packed with 16 to 18 people, making it unsafe and unstable, especially when the driver is speeding, he said.

Glenn Havinoviski, an Abu Dhabi transport expert, said there should be enhanced standards for minibuses but they do not have to be banned.

“I don’t believe minibuses are inherently unsafe as long as they are manufactured well and have the appropriates seat belts and seat padding,” Mr Havinoviski said.

Drivers hired to carry passengers, children or adults, should receive additional licence or post-licence driver training, Mr Kalivas said.

“It would enable them to develop skills such as in resilience to hazard perception, situation awareness and protection for passengers,” he said.

Minibus drivers must hold a light vehicle licence, which applies to vehicles up to three tonnes.

A poor understanding of the vehicles’ high centre of gravity, following other vehicles too closely, speeding and stopping in dangerous places to pick up or drop off passengers are some of the infractions committed by minibus drivers.

“There should be a separate training for minibus drivers as speeding or travelling below a minimum safe limit on motorways is common,” Mr Havinoviski said.

"The RTA introduced a new class of driver for small buses, which is a start."

Minibuses were also banned for ferrying schoolchildren in Dubai this year, with transport providers given 18 months to phase them out.