10,000 school buses ready to transport 279,000 students in Abu Dhabi

The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) has introduced a ban on heavy vehicles and workers' buses entering Abu Dhabi Island during peak hours, specifically from 6:30 to 9:00 AM. This restriction does not apply to logistics support vehicles and cleaning companies and will be enforced starting tomorrow, Monday, until Friday, September 4th.

In preparation for the new academic year, the ITC has ensured complete readiness to enhance student safety and facilitate safe and smooth school commutes. The initiative involves the deployment of 10,000 school buses to transport 279,000 students. The ITC encourages everyone to download the SALAMA Parent App to support these efforts.

Additionally, the ITC, as responsible for regulating transportation in Abu Dhabi, including school buses, operates under the Department of Municipalities and Transport. It has stressed that no school bus operator is permitted to hire or employ individuals as school bus drivers unless they have a valid "School Bus Driver" permit issued by the Department. Obtaining this permit requires submitting an application that meets nine specific conditions.

The ITC outlined nine conditions that must be met by school bus drivers. He must be at least 25 years old and possess a driving license issued by the UAE for at least a year before applying. The driver must also provide a certificate of good conduct from Abu Dhabi Police General Command for residents or from their home country if applying from abroad, ensuring it is dated within a month of application submission and properly certified. Proficiency in either Arabic or English is required. Completion of the department-mandated training for school bus drivers is necessary.

Additionally, a copy of the passport, residence permit, and Emirates ID card must be submitted. The driver needs to provide a record of any traffic violations from the unified traffic system. A medical report is needed every two years, confirming the absence of 13 specified conditions: disability, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy, mental, neurological, and psychological diseases, kidney disease, hepatitis, leprosy, vision and visual impairment, hearing impairment, substance and alcohol addiction, and acquired immunodeficiency. A medical exam is also required after each vacation.

To renew the permit, the operator needs to submit a renewal application accompanied by the previous permit, a record of any traffic violations against the driver in the unified traffic system from the past year, and a copy of any updated documents such as the driver's license, passport, residency permit, or ID card.

The center highlighted that school bus drivers have 13 specific responsibilities. These include ensuring no students remain on the bus at the final destination, allowing students to leave only at the designated drop-off point unless they have written instructions from the school, refraining from eating, drinking, or using a mobile phone while driving, prohibiting smoking inside the bus at all times, adhering to speed limits which must never exceed 100 km/h, and utilizing the stop arm and hazard lights when students are crossing roads or when they are boarding or disembarking at designated areas outside the school.