Thousands fined in Abu Dhabi for ignoring school bus stop sign

Bus drivers are also fined for not deploying the sign when appropriate

School bus drivers are being warned they must use their vehicles’ stop signs when collecting or dropping off pupils. Pawan Singh / The National

Thousands of motorists in Abu Dhabi have been fined for ignoring stop signs on school buses.

Police said they issued fines to 3,646 drivers during the 2018-2019 academic year for refusing to stop behind a bus to wait until pupils had disembarked.

More than 120 school bus drivers were also fined for not using the stop sign, which police said is necessary for the safety of the pupils on board.

School bus drivers are meant to deploy the stop signs on the sides of their vehicles when they pick up or pupils or let them disembark. The sign indicates to other road users that they must wait to pass until all children are safely out of the way.

Drivers who stop at a distance of less than five metres from the bus will be fined Dh1,000 and earn 10 black points on their driving licences.

Bus drivers can also be fined Dh500 and receive six black points if they fail to display the stop sign when appropriate.

Police said they had carried out awareness campaigns to explain how and why the sign is used.

“Stop sign awareness posters in different languages were posted on Abu Dhabi police social media accounts to urge motorists to adhere to the UAE traffic law,” police said.