Safety systems onboard school buses are a must, UAE transport officials say

A system to identify and manage risks to school bus safety will help transport providers minimise hazards, experts say.

This on-board monitor is one of the school bus safety features that has been introduced. Victor Besa for The National.

ABU DHABI // A system to identify and manage risks to school bus safety will help transport providers to minimise hazards, experts said.

The avoidable death of a three-year-old girl on a locked school bus in October last year highlighted the dangers children face in their daily journey to and from school.

“Bus drivers, driver escorts and those directly involved with transporting students to and from school should understand and demonstrate competencies identified to reduce risks,” said Dino Kalivas, chairman of the driver education and training committee at the International Road Federation.

“Any risk-management system introduced should be aligned with procedures and checklists as identified in the Department of Transport regulations.”

Emirates Transport has a system in place to ensure all risks are identified and controlled, said Khalid Shukur, the company’s health, safety and environment manager.

Those include buses breaking down, fire, emergency bus evacuations, slipping and tripping inside the vehicle, traffic accidents, misbehaviour of pupils, driving in residential and school zones and coping with bad weather.

Other measures include avoiding dangerous routes, substituting buses to suit the route and the students, installing safety systems such as GPS, cameras and motion sensors, establishing safety related operational procedures and using safety vests.