In a sweeping revelation, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) disclosed that numerous school bus drivers and attendants operated without the necessary permits throughout the past year. Conducting an extensive 6,323 inspections of school buses from July to December in 2023, the RTA brought to light a series of breaches in compliance.
While the exact number of violations remains undisclosed, recurrent infractions included operating school transport without a permit, allowing unauthorized individuals to drive school buses, and disregarding approved technical specifications for seats and overall appearances. The RTA also identified lapses in adherence to safety protocols, such as the absence of fire extinguishers, GPS tracking systems, and interior cameras within the buses.
Securing a permit, a prerequisite for school bus drivers alongside a valid UAE driving license, demands successful completion of RTA’s prescribed training and testing regimen. The driver must be at least 25 years old, possess good conduct, and present a clean criminal record, backed by a traffic points report and an RTA-approved medical fitness certificate.
Similarly, school transport attendants or bus aides are mandated to acquire a permit, meeting stringent criteria of good conduct, age not less than 25, and successful completion of RTA-approved tests. Notably, buses transporting male students up to the fifth grade and female students up to high school require the presence of a female supervisor.
The RTA, since September 2022, streamlined the permit acquisition process for professional passenger transport drivers, offering instant permits and eliminating the previous 24-hour waiting period for approval.
Highlighting safety specifications, the RTA emphasized the need for safety belts with two or three meeting points on all passenger seats, an electronic tracking system or GPS, designated spaces for bags, and compliance with maximum speed limits.
Bus safety standards outlined by the RTA include a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h, installation of a speed control device, provision of a first aid box, and mandatory fire extinguishers based on seating capacity. The lifespan of a bus is capped at 15 years from its manufacturing date, with emergency exits commensurate with passenger capacity.
Additionally, the RTA mandates school buses to be painted yellow with clear ‘School Bus’ markings in both Arabic and English. Regular inspections, conducted intensively at the beginning of each semester and periodically in the field, aim to enforce compliance. Violations prompt the issuance of reports, and educational facilities with infringements are revisited to ensure subsequent adherence to regulations. The RTA underscores its commitment to upholding safety and regulatory standards within the school transportation sector through vigilant oversight and responsive measures.
